Queen: An Inuyasha Collection
by ArtemisdelaLune
Summary: Mostly one shot Queenfics, AU and canon - verse about the cast of Inuyasha. Mostly Sesshoumaru/Kagura, but any pairing can be done.
1. Don't Stop Me Now

**AN: **This is a series of fics, mostly romantic based upon various pairings from _Inuyasha_. A lot of these were previously written for another site, and have been adapted to this anime. Most will probably be Sessh/Kagura though. And probably AU too.

**Don't Stop Me Now** is taken from the _Queen_ album _Jazz_, first released in 1978 as an album and released as a single in 1979. Don't say fanfiction doesn't teach you anything now. :P

* * *

**Pairing:** Jakotsu/Bankotsu  
**Genre:** Romance/bit o' fluff  
**Universe:** AU  
**Warnings:** you see the pairing right?

**Word count:** 595

**Don't Stop Me Now**

_Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time  
I feel alive and the world it's turning inside out Yeah!  
I'm floating around in ecstasy  
So don't stop me now, don't stop me  
'Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time  
_  
Jakotsu was overjoyed. He and his Bankotsu were having the time of their lives at the fairground. He couldn't remember a time when he was happier or more vibrant. And to his adoring eyes Bankotsu seemed the same. Eyes bright with excitement and reflecting back the rainbowed lights that coloured the air. Grinning eagerly Bankotsu pulled Jakotsu into the queue for their first ride.

_I'm a shooting star leaping through the skies  
Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity  
I'm a racing car passing by like Lady Godiva  
I'm gonna go go go  
There's no stopping me  
_  
They had been laughing and giggling like there was no tomorrow; especially on the rollercoaster (Bankotsu had clutched at him tightly for the whole ride). And as they were twirled and spun in impossibly graceful arcs along the metal tracks Jakotsu shouted with delight, particularly during the loop - de - loop when Bankotsu pulled into what he wished to call a lovers' embrace.

_I'm burning through the skies Yeah!  
Two hundred degrees  
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit  
I'm trav'ling at the speed of light  
I wanna make a supersonic man of you  
I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars  
On a collision course  
I am a satellite I'm out of control  
I am a sex machine ready to reload  
Like an atom bomb about to  
Oh oh oh oh oh explode  
_  
Despite, or perhaps _because_ of, the naturally pale tone his skin had Jakotsu felt himself blushing a vibrant scarlet and heat rushed to his face when Bankotsu pulled him into line for the Tunnel of Love. Slightly out of embarrassment - they were among the youngest there as well as standing out for other reasons (not like there were many transvestites around and proclaiming it openly) - but mainly out of anticipation. _Everyone_ knew there was only one reason to go into that tunnel and he had been so desperate to give his guy a huge kiss right on the mouth; but he'd always hesitated because of Bankotsu. Oh, he'd definitely reciprocate, but would it be too soon for him?

As they drew loser to the front of the line his tension mounted. And he was startled to realise that he was shaking imperceptibly out of nerves. After the ticket seller gave them a quizzical look, but gave them a boat anyway. _Finally_. They sat in companionable silence listening to the sappy music for all of twenty seconds before Bankotsu made the first move.

They held hands.

His pulse began to race.

They moved closer and closer together.

A scant few inches separated them.

And then they kissed.

_Don't stop me now I'm having such a good time  
I'm having a ball don't stop me now  
If you wanna have a good time  
Just give me a call  
_  
All Jakotsu could think of was how great a kisser Bankotsu was. He thought to himself that if they kissed like this every time they went on a date then Bankotsu had better call him every day. Damn, he was a great kisser.

_Don't stop me now ('Cause I'm having a good time)  
Don't stop me now (Yes I'm having a good time)  
I don't wanna stop at all  
_  
He didn't want to leave that tunnel. Way too much fun.


	2. Who Wants To Live Forever

**Who Wants To Live Forever** is a _Queen_ song taken from the album _It's A Kind of Magic_, first released in 1986.

* * *

**Pairing:** Inuyasha/Kagome  
**Genre:** Tragedy/romance  
**Universe:** AU  
**Warnings:** None

**Word count:** 849

**Who Wants To Live Forever?**

_There's no time for us  
There's no place for us  
What is this thing that builds our dreams yet slips away  
From us_  
He lay on the starched sheets. She sat bonelessly on the chair next to him, saying it was the smell of disinfectant that made her cry. She couldn't tell him. No. She didn't want to tell him.  
She had pleaded with the doctor for some time. "Just a day. One more. Outside. Please." Her normal eloquence gone; her face showed her distress - how she was starting to collapse.  
The doctor paused. He knew the patient would die soon; but it would be painless. It was against his better judgement to let the patient leave the sterile confines of the hospital. But the days he had left were so few. "One day only. And soon." She shivered at those last words.  
_Who wants to live forever?  
Who wants to live forever....?  
Theres no chance for us  
It's all decided for us  
This world has only one sweet moment set aside for us_  
She told the man in the bed, the man she loved, that it wasn't really serious as he could go out for the day. She said to pick some place special to celebrate his health, and she thought to herself that it wasn't a lie. But they were only celebrating his remaining health. She didn't have any desire to tell him the truth. Didn't have the desire to take away his good cheer, his beautiful smile and his silly, silly, rude optimism. And his promise. He'd promised to be there, with her always, that he would protect her – he wouldn't be able to keep that. So she would protect him, not tell him the truth even if it broke her inside. There was _no way in hell_ that she'd take any of those things away from him! Not now or ever!  
_Who wants to live forever?  
Who wants to live forever?  
Who dares to love forever?  
When love must die_  
They walked through the city looking at the sites, buying trinkets and talking nothings, somethings, maybe and impossibilities. She kept her smile up the whole time even as her heart cracked a little every time she laughed or smiled. Several times she walked away from him to cry a little cry. And she came back each time with a new oddity, or a book. And lots of food, especially his beloved ramen.  
He didn't suspect anything. And the stress pulled at her all the time.  
_But touch my tears with your lips  
Touch my world with your fingertips  
And we can have forever  
And we can love forever  
Forever is our today  
Who wants to live forever  
Who wants to live forever?  
Forever is our today_  
The stress pulled at her all the time. They were in a park and he'd just spoke lovingly of his future hopes. Breached the idea of something so perfect she broke and cried. Crystals of fear and sadness fled her eyes. And he leant in and kissed them. Asked her if it was wrong of his to ask her the question. How could she tell him the truth? She shook her head and smiled through her teeth.  
He reached out a shaking finger and brushed away her last few tears. She said, "Yes." He burst into one of his rare, but impossibly handsome smiles and for a minute - just one - all was fine. He wasn't dying and they were on a sublime date. She had been recording every moment. For her eternity. Her eternity without him. She would make sure that today would last forever for the both of them.  
_Who waits forever anyway?_  
He lay on the starched sheets. She sat bonelessly on the chair next to him, saying it was the smell of disinfectant that made her cry. Telling him as she grasped his cool, limp hand. "It's just the bleach. Honest."She cried harder, faster and breathlessly as she stopped lying to him and herself. "I lied to you." she burst out. "You, you, you, you were ill. Really ill and I didn't want you to know because I wanted you to be happy. I just wanted you to smile. And you lasted longer than they thought and I guess it's because you didn't want to leave me. I kind of hope it was.  
"And now you're just sleeping and still holding on even though it must hurt you to stay when you know you need to go.  
"I'm telling you now.  
"As someone who loves you with every fibre of her being that it's time to go. I can't love you any more than I do know and it's because of this that I want you - need you to go.  
"It's okay. I'll be okay I promise. And I'll wait for you."  
_Who waits forever anyway?_  
He let go. The steady life - counting rhythm slowed, slowed and stopped. Unbelievably she smiled through the storm of tears and thanked him. She would wait forever. She hoped he would.  
_Who waits forever anyway?_


	3. Spread Your Wings

Thank you to everyone who's read or reviewed this story! This one's for all the Sesshoumaru/Kagura fans out there, especially **Saphira**, my first reviewer!

**Spread Your Wings** is from the _Queen_ album _News of the World_, first released in 1977.

**

* * *

**

**Pairing:** Sesshoumaru/Kagura  
**Genre:** Romance/tragedy  
**Universe:** Canon - verse  
**Warnings:** Bit o' swearing, manga spoilers

**Word count: **2 049

**Spread Your Wings**

_Sammy was low__  
Just watching the show  
Over and over again  
Knew it was time  
She'd made up her mind  
To leave her dead life behind_

Kagura sat gracefully on her feather as she rode the wind far above the flowing green lands below her. It was the same old thing really, Naraku had finally caught her in one of her rare visits back to the castle and had said, "Kagura, I want you to go to Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha to . . . " And she'd simply phased out. Another monster, another day, another foolish mission, another wonderful ride teasing her with glimpse of freedom . . . another chance to speak to Sesshoumaru.

It was heartbreaking in a way – it would be if she actually _had_ her heart – her two precious things, and she could only enjoy them fleetingly, sparingly. Just fucking lovely. And best of all, she couldn't die because a certain black haired hanyou had hold of her heart; it wasn't as if she had anything else to live for really. Flying, the wind, freedom, Sesshoumaru. It was nice to be able to talk to someone who wouldn't automatically attempt to kill her on sight or scent. Well, someone who wasn't one of Naraku's spawn or Kohaku. She didn't even know if the child could _hear_ anything or if he was just an empty shell filled with Naraku's malice. Poor child, at least she could steal away some hours or days, and she always had her thoughts; if she wanted she could even rebel, though she would be punished quite horribly for it later. He couldn't even think independently.

Still, best to get the order out the way quick as she could; the wind brought Sesshoumaru's scent to her, and it was quite some distance away, whereas Inuyasha's crude group was nearby. And Sesshoumaru would be a treat, so she was less likely to get herself too seriously hurt. "It's such a pain having to plan freedom. At least I can try to get Sesshoumaru to help me." Freedom . . . she wanted it so much it wrenched at the place where her heart should have been.

_Her boss said to her  
Girl you'd better begin  
To get those crazy notions right out of your head  
Sammy who do you think that you are?_

It had been weeks since she'd last spoken to Sesshoumaru. And now she was shackled to guarding Naraku's infant. All she wanted was to ride the breeze, but it was impossible, and Naraku had the gall to gloat and reprimand her. "You'll never be free Kagura, so why fight? Why seek out Sesshoumaru and beg for help? Why rebel? Why dawdle on the winds when all it'll do is remind you of what you'll never attain. Why did you have to wake up Kagura? All it will bring is pain."

She hadn't answered him, but it was all so true. But she hadn't answered because she couldn't be bothered, he wanted an argument, so he wasn't going to get one.

She hadn't given up on freedom. She wouldn't. Sesshoumaru wouldn't help her, he couldn't stand weak people, she knew that. He'd told her. And she didn't want to be weak to him, so one day she'd clandestinely left Naraku's castle and sought him out. "I won't ask for your help any more Seshoumaru; but for forms sake I must. I _will_ get my freedom _my_ way, it will be sweeter for it. But to deceive Naraku, I must ask for your help.

"I want it, but I don't want it because I am not weak and I _won't_ have you thinking I am. Not you." Sesshoumaru looked at her silently as the clouds passed over them; shade, light, shade, light. "This Sesshoumaru thinks you are strong enough to take freedom on your own. He also knows why you do not wish to be seen as weak by him." He paused and turned his eyes from the clouds to look straight at her. "This Sesshoumaru cannot like weak women. Don't be weak." Her phantom heart jumped at his cryptic words as she blindly uttered her thanks and leapt into the air on her feather. If he meant what he thought, then perhaps she had a chance after all.

Her mind returned to the present as she watched the baby and she smiled. "One more reason to keep on fighting." She murmered.

_Since she was small  
Had no luck at all  
Nothing came easy to her  
Now it was time  
She'd made up her mind  
this could be my last chance  
Her boss said to her, "Now listen girl!"_

Naraku had finally been angered beyond restraint. She'd saved Kohaku at the cost of her 'immortality'. Save the taijya, save the world. Get your heart back; get stabbed through the heart with a fatal injection of his miasma. And he'd gloated over what he'd done. Told her gleefully of what would happen. Death.

Story of her goddamned life. But totally worth it, he was just a boy, he deserved his life.

Her heart, nonetheless, beat rhythmically in her chest, a wonderful _ba – thud_, _ba – thud_ that she felt exquisitely. The miasma seared through her veins and eroded her flesh around the hole piercing right through her torso. Never had pain felt so fantastic.

Her plume shrank and wavered erratically as the miasma. She thought through the distant pain that it was best to land now before she lost control entirely and plummeted to the ground. "Miasma's taking away my powers. Can't even scent the wind." There was a meadow of flowers up ahead, it looked beautiful. She'd rather die somewhere beautiful. She turned her head from side to side, vainly feeling for any youkai that might be around, her jade earrings rattled quietly, almost the only sound there was. Noone. Noone and nothing around. She didn't want to die, but it wasn't like there was anyone who'd miss her.

_Spread your wings and fly away  
Fly away, far away  
Spread your little wings and fly away  
Fly away, far away  
Pull yourself together  
cos you know you should do better  
That's because you're a free girl_

She slumped off her feather and onto the ground, a pale scent of crushed flowers filled her nose above the rotting smell of miasma eating her away. 'My heart. It's beating.' It was softer now, a gentler, quieter feeling. Patpatting away in her chest. It was so hard to think now. 'I can go everywhere. I am free. Where shall I go now?' She was the wind, the wind made flesh, and now she was free. Dying, but free. What would happen when she died? Would there be a youkai graveyard for her?

Her blood seeped ever further down her kimono, it was so pretty, but creased up. She tried to smooth out the crumples so that she wouldn't die a mess. 'Dammit. My body won't do what I want.' The stench of the miasma stung her nostrils, wishing for the wind to take it away, she managed an ironic smile as the wind compassionately did a favour for the dying woman. 'It sure is quiet. Nobody's here. Will it end here?' She knew it would, but the part of her that fought against her creator refused to accept it.

'This is . . . the freedom I was seeking.' All people die alone, that hurt more than anything. Even more than the slightly audible hiss as the miasma gathered strength and dissolved her even more rapidly felt less in comparison. Noone would miss her. Not her sister, her creator. Noone.

The wind stirred rapidly, it was enough to get Kagura to raise her impossibly heavy head to look up. White, white hakama, black armour and the red pattered furosode met her. So much white among the pale pink and yellow flowers. He seemed to shine in the sun that reflected slightly off his armour. It was so hard to focus . . . his hair floated on the errant breeze and she managed to follow it up to his face.

'Sesshou . . . - maru . . . ?' He was here. And his eyes shone with concern as he looked down at her. She drew in a shallow breath as she realised that she could read him, no doubt he could see the surprise that was writ large all over her stained face. Why was he here? "I came following the scent of Naraku's miasma." As always he could read her mind. And with that sentence her hope seemed to shrivel, finally giving up. She couldn't help the bitter smile that ripped at her lips, it wasn't like there was any point in being strong any more. "Heh. Did I disappoint you? That I wasn't Naraku." Her head dropped to look at her lap; the one person that she wanted more than anything and he was only there because he thought she was Naraku.

"I knew it was you." Her eyes shot open and she looked up once more to see his gentle eyes. "I . . . see . . . " She finally knew, she finally knew! 'You came to me . . . knowingly, huh . . . ' There was a chance, she saw, through her fringe as Sesshoumaru reached tentatively for Tenseiga. The beat of her heart slowed again and quieted. Miasma billowed out of her like dark, life – destroying storm clouds; and she saw that Sesshoumaru had let his hand drop by his side. Tenseiga wasn't going to work.

It wasn't fair for either of them. He looked down, she looked up; both saw the loss, regret, pain and love that was there in their eyes. If only for a few moments as they fought to keep their composure. "You leaving?"

"Yeah . . . soon . . . " It was harder to breathe now, she could barely feel her heart and she knew for Sesshoumaru to ask such an obvious question was his way of telling her it would be very soon indeed. If only she had had more time. If only they had.

As she felt her heart feebly beat down the seconds she hear a wordless shout. Inuyasha and his group had arrived. _Ba – thump_ . . . _ba – thump_ . . . one last time, she had to look at her Sesshoumaru one last time. It was so, so heavy; and she lost her balance as she met Sesshoumaru's eyes one last time she lost her balance and fell backwards, but still held his sight. 'At the end . . . I got to see you.' She tried to tell him, but her mouth seemed sealed shut. She just smiled everything at him, her sadness, her regrets, her happiness and her love. Sesshoumaru, she knew, would read it. He could always read her.

He held her stare as her eyes closed shut for the last time. Her last sight, the picture she would take with her forever was the mix of loss and love that flashed brightly in his eyes for a moment. She hated to leave him.

She never even felt her body dissolve before it met the soft cushion of the flowers. She never felt her body fade into the wind from the feet up, finally releasing her treasured feather into freedom. Freedom borne away on one last gust of wind.

She did hear Inuyasha's shouted demand to his brother. "Was Kagura . . . suffering?" And the part of her that lingered briefly, bodiless felt pure joy as he looked up at the feather she once wore and gently said, "She was smiling . . . " It occurred to the once – Kagura that those three words said more of his love for her than anything else. How much he was going to miss her.

Sesshoumaru followed the path of the feather and it hurt; though he never let it show. It was almost best that she die free, that she could fly away on the breeze one more time. She always loved to fly free.

'I am the wind. As free as the wind.' And the once – Kagura dispersed on the element she loved. 'As free as the wind.'

* * *

A/N: I'm not sure if it carried over well, but there's a time skip between verses. The first is about manga chapter 170 - ish; the second is some time after the Hakurai - zen arc; and the last two are pretty obvious. Let me know how well it worked okay?


	4. I Want To Break Free

**A/N:** Four chapters, and only one is Sesshoumaru/Kagura. Hehe, but there's a lot more coming. I may even take requests (song or pairing) later. Thank you everyone who's read or reviewed, especially **Kaze Tsukai No Kagura** for being the newest reviewer.

**I Want To Break Free** is a _Queen_ song from their _The Works_ album, first released in 1984. By the way, if you've seen the video, I'd just like to say to Roger Taylor looks surprisingly pretty as a girl (He's the one with the pigtails).

* * *

**Pairing:** Inuyasha/Kikyou/Kagome  
**Genre:** Romance/bit o' angst  
**Universe:** Canon  
**Warnings:** One or two occurrences of swearing. What can I say? Inuyasha has a foul mouth.

**Word count: **1 271

**I Want to Break Free**

To most they looked and seemed identical. That was stupid. Sure, they both had long black hair and brown eyes and miko powers; but so did a lot of mikos.

One had straighter, slightly longer hair and her eyes were sadder, more guarded; yet equally as bright as the other's. _That_ one had happier eyes, though they could become as clouded by sadness as the elder's.

_She_ had exceptional strength, but lacked finesse and training, even her arrows were less accurate for all anyone said they were reincarnations. The elder one wasn't as strong, but her training allowed her more flexibility, less reliance on pure power.

Kikyou, the old Kikyou had smelt of wood smoke, healing herbs, her little sister and she was always slightly tainted with the sicknesses and scents of the humans who relied upon her. The new Kikyou smelt of grave dirt and ashes and black pine.

Kagome smelt of her time, of pollution, harsh smelling soaps and artificial scents and plums.

There wasn't much similarity between them, not really, their personalities were very different too. Kikyou was quieter, a bit stronger and more prone to introspection and sadness than Kagome. She was too loud at time, independent and happy. They were both well educated and compassionate, but so opposite at times.

Really, the main similarity they had was that he loved them both.

_(I want to break free)  
(I want to break free)  
I want to break free from your lies  
You're so self satisfied I don't need you  
I want to break free  
God knows, God knows I want to break free _

After Tsubaki had brought her back it had hurt more than anything. Fifty years, but for him it was mere weeks, for her: hours. Inuyasha had had his first friend, his first infatuation with her! But now, now the words and things they had said; back those fifty years, sitting in the meadow in his forest, they were so one – sided. "I'll give you the Shikon no Tama, you wish to be human and then we can marry."

Where were her compromises?

But it was still Kikyou! And it had been such a short time since everything had happened. For them at least, to everyone else all their feelings should be dead and gone. Like Kikyou. Like he was before Kagome broke the seal. And Kikyou was as close to alive as she could ever be, and she hated him with all the passion she had in that fragment of Kagome's soul that she'd stolen.

It was funny, y'know, everyone _now_ said they didn't mind his being hanyou. Not Miroku, not Sango – and she was a taijya! Not Kagome nor the runt; but they didn't really understand, or apparently care, that he was hanyou. He'd promised Kikyou that he'd be loyal to her, that he loved her. He couldn't go back on that. Dogs are loyal; he's an inuhanyou. He couldn't go back on his word to his, it was against his nature. He glanced down at his sleeping pack, wasn't he looking after them? It wasn't wrong to want to look after more than one group.

It didn't mean _anything_ else; there was another person, and now he actually liked being a hanyou for hanyou's sake! Humans were weak, and well, if he were a youkai he wouldn't be able to use Tessaiga to protect his group. And if he didn't have Tessaiga he would lose his soul to bloodlust because he couldn't control his blood. There was no way in fuckin' hell he was going to let Sesshoumaru – bastard that he was – have the 'glory' of killing his half – brother.

"At least I know he'll be able to kill me, no regrets." He mumbled as his mind turned back to Kikyou and Kagome. Kagome and Kikyou were illuminating, but Kagome had never made his feel ashamed of being what he was. She saw the best of both and the light was welcoming and soft. Kikyou was a sharp candle in the dark that made everything sharp and angular, stuff to fear because it was never seen totally and the shadows were more fearsome than anything the light brought to bear. Kikyou believed her lies; that was the worst part.

_I've fallen in love  
I've fallen in love for the first time  
And this time I know it's for real  
I've fallen in love, yeah  
God knows, God knows I've fallen in love _

Perhaps it was because Kagome was from the future that she had no discriminations; though he worried over where all those of youkai blood went in those five hundred or so years. Humans couldn't wipe them out, surely? Perhaps they were hiding.

Anyway, she was softer and more innocent than most other women he'd ever met. And he loved her, plain and simple. He went to Kikyou out of obligation and that she was his first friend. Kagome, though she had power over the subjugation beads, he helped her because they were great friends and because she didn't expect him to change. Sure, Kaede hadn't _minded_ him, but she was a child. _Kagome_ was more or less an adult with her own opinions and she wanted him to be himself.

It was so liberating! He was himself, and for the most part noone hated him for it even if they didn't always understand his actions or reasons. So he got to love Kagome: an annoying, sweet and demanding girl with a mouth. Kagome; an honourable, brave and foolhardy person.

Sometimes, in the early hours of the morning when even most youkai were tired and drowsy and he was on watch an insidious thought would sidle to the forefront of his mind to plague him.

'You only love Kagome because she's Kikyou's reincarnation.' He knew Kagome thought that. Did he?

'If Kikyou were alive, _truly_ alive you could be with her again.' But he loved Kagome didn't he?

'She loves you, she'll give you the Shikon no Tama and then it'd; be easy. Wish yourself human, wish yourself youkai or wish Kikyou alive. Kikyou can love you as a hanyou. Kagome can, and _she's_ her reincarnation.' True, Kagome always spoke about giving him the jewel, but he didn't think he wanted it any more.

'You do.'

_It's strange but it's true  
I can't get over the way you love me like you do  
But I have to be sure  
When I walk out that door  
Oh how I want to be free, baby  
Oh how I want to break free,  
Oh how I want to break free _

Dawn rose and cast it's rosy fingers over the slumbering group, warming their features and stealing away the night chill and dew. "Might as well go hunt. Nothing's going to happen." He went off tracking the delicious scent of rabbit. Wasn't hard, but he needed quite a few and he was still distracted.

Kikyou _did_ love him, he was sure of it. But she died and Kagome got her soul. But the same soul doesn't mean the same person. Kagome loved him because she was Kagome.

When it came down to it, he knew, when it came down to it; if there was only he could save, and noone else would save the other, he would pick Kagome.

Kikyou's time was over. His love wasn't, but it was Kagome he wanted. Kagome, Kagome, Kagome.

He just wanted to be freed from the suspicion everyone had for him; the tears Kagome would struggle to hide whenever he left.

He wanted to be freed from distrust. All he wanted was Kagome, why couldn't they see that?


	5. Save Me

**A/N:** Thank you to my readers and to my (somehow) invisible reviewers.

**Save Me** was released in 1980 and can be found on the album _The Game_.

* * *

**Pairing:** Inuyasha/Kikyou  
**Genre:** Romance/angst  
**Universe:** AU  
**Warnings:** None

**Word count:** 986

**Save Me**

_It started off so well  
They said we made a perfect pair  
I clothed myself in your glory and your love  
How I loved you,  
How I cried....._

We've been together since college; even separately chose the same university and got in. We were perfect together and we knew it; revelled in their quiet admiration and the fact that we never argued. You and me. 'Kikyou and Inuyasha 4eva' right? Carved on just how many desks? But I guess, deep down, you knew we weren't. So when you said, "No more, it's over." I couldn't help but cry.

_The years of care and loyalty  
Were nothing but a sham it seems  
The years belie we lived a lie  
"I'll love you 'til I die" _

Throughout college we were together. Throughout university we were together. You were my first love. And even now you have been my only love Inuyasha. What use was all my loyalty and devotion to you if you threw it back in my face all at once with that wry, quirky half - grin that used to make me feel giddy. You even said it first, "I'll love you 'til I die." And it made me so happy. I can't describe it; no, not even the greatest writer of all time can accurately describe how I felt. Yet I shall try, I, with my weak skills at weaving weft and warp in a tapestry of a story. I shall discard my stoic façade and speak:

Imagine Inuyasha, no, remember; remember that night in Freshers' Week when we stole over to the woods and went for walks in moon - dappled glens that were straight out of Shakespeare, "'Well met by moonlight fair Inuyasha'" I said. I still am a sucker for that foreign playwright you know. And we were overcome by that supernatural beauty, like there was a - a - a _rightness_ to everything there in that perfect moment. That how I felt when you said you would love me 'till the day I died. And look what you did.

_The slate will soon be clean  
I'll erase the memories,  
To start again with somebody new  
Was it all wasted  
All that love?.....  
I hang my head and I advertise  
A soul for sale or rent  
I have no heart, I'm cold inside  
I have no real intent_

I want to forget you; pretend that all the love and happiness I felt when I was with you. I was always near you even when we were literally on opposite ends of the earth. I should find someone else, but I'm always going to be left wondering if it was all my love, my everything that I gave you was wasted.

Have I wasted every iota of my love and affection on someone who spurned me for no reason? Five years I loved you. You threw me away in fifty – five seconds. For some second – rate imitation me.

It should not be so easy to steal someone's soul and then return it broken. I'm dating again, but I have no will to date. I do for appearances' sake. Can't be seen pining over you now can I Inuyasha? Noone who really cares for me would want me to. And still I do miss you. I half believe I gave all my warmth, my inner fire to you I feel so cold now. Apathetic.

_Save me Save me Save me  
I can't face this life alone  
Save me Save me Oh...  
I'm naked and I'm far from home _

If I wrapped myself in the silky warmth of your love for me like a blanket then you took it from me. All my comfort you took with you. Why did you take so much of our history, our _story_ with you? The photos, gifts, half - whispered notes scrawled hither and thither on any kind of keepsake. At first I clung to that like it meant you did miss me.

Until I went into the charity shop. I saw most of it there: the photo frames, all was laid bare to roving eyes of strangers. Even the single memento I had of my mother! How _COULD YOU?!_ You knew how much it meant and why I gave it to you and yet you still took it from me. If you hated it so much you should have let me treasure it for both my sets of cherished memories; you scorned me and _my_ _mother_. That. That was something I can never forgive you ever.

And you _know_ that I love that shop. You _know_ I go in there so often.

You knew I would find it didn't you? YOU KNEW!

I trusted you! My mother died and you were there for me. I almost single – handedly raised my sister when Father was grieving and seeking solace elsewhere. You were my confidant. Friend, boyfriend and lover; I was hoping to add 'husband' to your list of accolades.

You stole my hearts' home. Tore it away from me with that callous action. I would have forgiven you anything else. You stripped me of my precious feelings. My one last feeling I had you tore from my grasp as the wind batters away at a sapling. I'm so far away from where my home was. And I know it'll never rebuild itself with another ones' help.

My soul is desolate. Homeless. Heartless.

_Each night I cry, I still believe the lie  
I'll love you 'til I die  
_  
Please . . . please, come back to me. And yet, I don't want you to. I'm caught in your web.

Everything is true, but that one promise. You're never going to love me 'til you die. I'll love _you_ 'til I die.

Even though I don't want to. I want to hate you. I want to condemn you to hell.

I don't want to love you any more. Release me.

* * *

**A/N:** Because Kikyou needs some love now and again. I hope you liked my attempt at a sympathetic Kikyou; heh, perhaps there's even be an Inuyasha basher. Seriously, I can see why people don't like her, but think of it from her side as well!  
(And this is from someone who doesn't particularly like her too.)


	6. Love of My Life

A/N: Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, especially **Flames Chaos and Wolf**. And this is the second Sesshoumaru/Kagura story, meaning my 'mostly Sesshoumaru/Kagura' comprises one - third of my stories. I should rectify this.

**Love of My Life** is from the _Queen_ album _A Night At The Opera_ which was first released in 1975.

* * *

**Pairing:** Sesshoumaru/Kagura  
**Genre:** Heartbreak/Romance  
**Universe:** AU  
**Warnings:** None

**Word count:** 1 000

**Love of My Life**

_Love of my life - you've hurt me  
You've broken my heart and now you leave me  
Love of my life can't you see  
Bring it back, bring it back  
Don't take it away from me, because you don't know  
What it means to me_

Kagura sat on the bench at the edge of the dunes watching the errant breeze shifting its caress from one dune to another. _How fitting . . . _Yes, Sesshoumaru was well known for being distant, yet have others love him only to break after he'd gone, but this time it seemed different. Perhaps because it was her at the centre?

But even so, they'd been together for far longer than any of his other relationships; she'd taken that as a positive sign. That maybe, she had done the impossible: gotten past his impenetrable barriers and made herself a home in his heart, just like he had with her.

Yet, even after all that time he didn't realise how much her heart meant to her. How wary she was, always. "I never give away my heart easily and wholly. You have to earn my love and trust," she had said to him once; she never elaborated, thinking it was all that need be said. Didn't say the rest. _Every day, every promise you keep earns you another shard of my heart. I want you to be the one to gather the puzzle that is my heart and solve it so we may both be whole. I want to love and trust you utterly._ She had no desire to give it all and then have it smashed apart by one careless accident. Not again. People die or leave too easily for her to trust instinctively or all - at - oncely any more.

_Love of my life don't leave me  
You've taken my love, (all of my love) and now desert me  
Love of my life can't you see  
(Please bring it back) bring it back, bring it back (back)  
Don't take it away from me (take it away from me)  
Because you don't know (ooh ooh ooh know means to me)  
What it means to me_

But even if she had said that would it have changed anything? She couldn't believe it to be so in the scarred part of her heart. The first time, oh, that first time she was betrayed by one she loved and admired above and beyond all others. He cut her heart in two and took half with him when he died to save an unwanted step - mother. Even though it was just the love a trusting child had for her father it was still a betrayal of the worst kind.

When she allowed Sesshoumaru to earn her heart she had been pleased beyond all reason that her withered little half - heart was seen as more than sufficient and more beloved than a whole one.

And he cut away another chunk of her newly fixed heart. He was the love of her life, and didn't know how much it all meant to her.

_Who will remember  
When this is blown over  
And everything's all by the way - (ooh yeah)  
When I grow older  
I will be there at your side to remind you  
How I still love you - (I still love you)_

It would be fine if she could just be near him; but rumour was that he was moving away. A job in the city; a love in a new town . . . they all whispered treacherously in her ears of his betrayal.

She raised one small hand to her ear. She still wore the earrings he'd bought her. Kagura had been overjoyed to receive them. A crescent moon with a star in one ear; a bright - rayed sun and shadowed moon in the other. So beautiful; eternal in their beauty both as jewellery and objects in the arcing sky.

Everything her life's love wasn't. She had wanted to grow old with him and every day wake up to whisper "I love you." into his ear and hear the same back, each and every day. Noone would remember one girl in a string of girls; noone would even remember she loved him and that - no matter how briefly - he loved her in return.

Only her . . .

_Ooh, back - hurry back  
Please bring it back home to me  
Because you don't know what it means to me  
Love of my life  
Love of my life_

"Just bring me back my heart and let me see if I can start all over." Even if he didn't love her, she could still love him in her crippled heart if he gave it back to her. Or even find love anew. This time, harder than ever to find and believe. No. Just come back Sesshoumaru. Come back home to me.

"Kagura?"

"Sesshoumaru? But you left." A desperate tingle forced her to stand up and look down upon the youkai at the bottom of the dune. Perhaps . . .

"I left to secure a job elsewhere. Why would you think I had gone? Do you have so little faith in me?" His brow furrowed slightly as he looked straight into her eyes.

"You trust in anonymous whispers rather than this Sesshoumaru?"

"You left without telling me, and then people started talking. I – I lost faith in you and myself. I'm sorry Sessh."

"Only one woman has ever demanded of me that I earn her trust. _Challenged_ me to do so." Recrimination was clear in his voice, but his eyes had a sad sheen to them, "I see I have yet to utterly win your heart, though you hold mine."

"You have my heart. I faltered, I should have trusted you." She pleaded silently for him to forgive her, hoped that he was as skilful as ever in seeing past masks.

"Yes."

He'd forgiven her! With a beatific smile she said, "Welcome home!"


	7. Killer Queen

**A/N:** Special double update today! Thanks to all my readers and reviewers. I'm feeling the whimsy with this one, so be prepared.  
I'm not feeling all that happy with this one, it was a little rushed and I think awkward as well. Let me know if you feel the same way okay?

**Killer Queen** is a song from the album _Sheer Heart Attack_, released in 1974.

* * *

**Pairing:** Sesshoumaru/Kagura  
**Genre:** Romance/Humour  
**Universe:** AU  
**Warnings: **Little bit o swearing

**Word count: **1 793

**Killer Queen**

_She keeps Moet et Chandon  
In her pretty cabinet  
"Let them eat cake" she says  
Just like Marie Antoinette  
A built-in remedy  
For Kruschev and Kennedy  
At anytime an invitation  
You can't decline_

She came very well recommended: Kagura of the Wind. She was talked of wherever men met for drinks, women or politics. She was talked of wherever women met for drinks, men or gossip.

Why?

She was a natural. Rumour had it that one of her ancestors was an elegant deadly wind youkai; and if that was true she had certainly inherited her ancestor's talents for killing _and_ for seduction. She was an assassin and a whore. The most expensive. The best. So exclusive was she that it was _Kagura_ who decided who to accept as client.

The invitation was never refused. She always used a different name, a new approach, oftentimes; they didn't even know they were to meet their end until she told them. Truthfully, noone even knew what she looked like exactly because the only people who knew her often died soon after.

Oddly, many of those of joked that her previous clients were shagged to death often mysteriously disappeared a little while later.

Only one man ever escaped the wind's swift execution. He was the Ice Prince. He was as beautiful and deadly as a blizzard in the sky scratching mountains of the north – west. When Kagura received the petition, she knew she just had to accept. Sesshoumaru was just too beautiful a man to pass up the one – in – a – million chance of getting close to him.

_Caviar and cigarettes  
Well versed in etiquette  
Extraordinarily nice_

Sesshoumaru was a tricky target though; he did _not_ use prostitutes of any kind. He wasn't married, but he had an adopted daughter and didn't want her to think poorly of him. The more Kagura found out about him, the more excited she became. He wasn't very rich, nor all that well – known. Aside from his cold beauty and his even colder reputation (except where Rin was concerned) he was fairly normal. Reputedly descended from an ancient feudal aristocratic family, he still retained enough arrogance to make it hard to approach him.

In the end she went with an unusual method, it was not one that had been used by a whore before. She became a teacher, a teacher in the arts of High Society, and she was hired by the school that Rin attended. Kagura knew it was mean going through child; but she hadn't failed a contract yet, and one unapproachable man wouldn't change that.

It took almost a full school year before she had the chance to talk to Sesshoumaru personally. "I asked you to come in today Mr. Taishou to discuss Rin's achievements in her classes; she has done very well in all her classes, especially in languages and the humanities and I'd like to suggest that instead of Rin proceeding to Year Two with the rest of her classmates next year she go to Year Three instead."

"Hmmmm, you believe she would interact better with older students."

"Yes, I believe she would. While she does have many friends her own age, she is rather mature for someone of only seven years old – perhaps because of her past? – and she would mature emotionally and academically if she were with the older children. And she has told me several times that her work sometimes bores her because it's too easy." She broke off suddenly, reaching into a desk drawer and taking out a packet of cigarettes. "You don't mind if I smoke do you?" Sesshoumaru shook his head and she lit up.

"As I was saying, Rin would be better off in the Third Year as it would push her and she is such a smart girl, I wouldn't want her getting complacent now. Would you?"

"Rin is very perceptive for her age. If she were not to like it in the Third Year could she be moved back down? You've spoken to Rin about the possibility of her skipping a grade?"

"I have, and she's excited about the opportunity."

"Then this Sesshoumaru sees no need to object to your request."

"Okay, here's my card if you have any further concerns or questions." By all the gods! It hurt to be so nice to all those bratty children and that laconic man. Would it hurt him to speak more than absolutely necessary? He seemed to deliberately plan each sentence to use the minimum amount of words. At least Rin was bearable. And nothing like her father, she could talk about anything for any length of time. That was one of the reasons Kagura was able to get so close to Rin, Kagura, besides being the Deputy Head also took the children for public speaking and French.

Heh. But at least the plan worked.

_Recommended at the price  
Insatiable an appetite  
Wanna try?_

Sort of. Another two months and they had been on their first date. Now it was their six month anniversary. Her treat. It was the first time she'd ever had to pay for anything, and Sesshoumaru knew it! Oh. He knew it. She could read it in the smirk that just barely quirked at his lips and the laughing glint in his hazel – gold eyes. Though in the light of the _extremely_ expensive restaurant they shone like old gold, rich and full of memories. "You want some Kagura?" Her delicately expressive eyebrows shot up into her fringe. What?!

Smirking openly at her expression he said, "You want to try the _dessert_ Kagura?"

"You know I do!" It was a thick slice of chocolate cake, fairly oozing the deliciously addicting substance. Taking up her dessert fork she ate daintily, yet hastily through her treat smiling happily. Sesshoumaru just watched her as a tiny, genuine smile played unnoticed on his face. Until Kagura looked up that is. It amazed her to see how warm he was when smiled. "You know Sessh, if it takes me eating chocolate cake to make you smile I'll gladly eat it every. Single. Day."

When he laughed she laughed with him too and felt a rush of happiness. Wait. He was a contract; all she had to do was get close to him, maybe sleep with him and then kill him. Job done. No more. Inwardly she groaned, she'd fallen for him. She, Kagura of the Wind, the greatest assassin lover ever known had fallen for a father! Okay, a very sexy father. And she'd yet to sleep with him. Or anyone else since she'd given him her number. A new personal record.

Damn, she was in love.

_To avoid complications  
She never kept the same address  
In conversation  
She spoke just like a Baroness  
Met a man from China  
Went down to Geisha Minah  
Then again incidentally  
If you're that way inclined_

_Perfume came naturally from Paris  
For cars she couldn't care less  
Fastidious and precise_

Ah fuck. She had to tell him. It had been just over a year and he spent so much money on that exclusive French perfume. How did he even know that she adored that brand more than any other? She'd never brought it up, that was for certain. He knew her so well! And she loved him for it!

She didn't want to be Kagura of the Wind any more. She just wanted to be Kagura Tsukimari; teacher and girlfriend. She didn't want to have to trek over the world having sex or killing men and women. She didn't want to have to constantly switch characters and homes, always on the lookout for people who wanted to harm her. Kagura Tsukimari wanted a permanent home and loved her job. She was tired. "Gods, why'd I have to take the contract?"

She paced round and round her living room, planning out ways to tell him. It took days, but eventually, when she had it plan it was simple. Just tell him.

So at dinner the next night she said, "Sessh, at the beginning this was all just a job. I was employed to seduce you and kill you."

"I know. Kagura of the Wind. The contract was issued just under twenty six months ago."

"Then why did you – " She didn't know what she wanted to ask. There were so many things.

"Not have you killed? Rin loves her Miss Tsukimari as a teacher and as a mother figure. Why did I agree to date you? You interested me. You were witty, intelligent and weren't infatuated with me. Why did I let you stay? I grew to love you.

"Now, let me ask you this: Why didn't you complete the contract?"

"At first it really was just business. But you were so hard to get through to, we've only been sleeping together for the past two months, but more than that; because I had to work to know you I – I grew to care for you, and love you too.

"I don't want to fulfil my contract. I don't want to be Kagura of the Wind. I want to stay here."

_Drop of a hat she's as willing as  
Playful as a pussy cat  
Then momentarily out of action  
Temporarily out of gas  
To absolutely drive you wild, wild..  
She's all out to get you_

It was done. She had one last job to do before she – before the assassin whore Kagura of the Wind left. She took a short holiday, two weeks in total, from teaching and went to complete her last contract. And this time she was her own employer. She was going to kill Onigumo, the man who had hired her to murder Sesshoumaru.

It was pitifully easy to kill him, no challenge whatsoever. Two days after her first liaison with Onigumo he was dead. Fell from his balcony while drunk. At least, that was the official report.

Sesshoumaru was happy when she returned, "I thought you'd changed your mind and just left us."

"Why would I do that Sessh? You and Rin are too cute to leave." His look of outrage at being called cute sent her into peals of laughter. It was so good to be home.

_Recommended at the price  
Insatiable an appetite  
Wanna try?  
You wanna try..._

"Kagura, will you give up your old life and your new life and move in with me and Rin?"

"What's the price?"

"Kagura, will you marry me?"

"Absolutely yes!" Two damn years from that first parent – teacher meeting. Two damn years.

And the country had a new, juicy piece of gossip to tide them over for the rest of the year. For Kagura of the Wind had failed a contract, retired and disappeared from the shadows, and Sesshoumaru had married a school teacher.


	8. You Don't Fool Me

A/N: Thanks to all my readers and reviewers! Oh, and **Michael Moore**? You'll be happy to know that **I Want It All**, **Headlong** and **These Are The Days Of Our Lives** are definitely on my To Write list. I hope you stay tuned to read them.

**You Don't Fool Me** is from the album _Made In Heaven_ which was released in 1995. The song was released as a single in 1996. This song was remixed a lot, but the lyrics I'm using are for the album original with a running time of 5:25.

* * *

**Pairing:** Sesshoumaru/Kagura  
**Genre:** Heartbreak/Betrayal  
**Universe:** AU  
**Warnings:** None

**Word count: **586

**You Don't Fool Me**

She was at it again. Kagura came sliding her way in and out of so many men's lives like an errant breeze that bowed the grass down on a wide plain.

A trainer. Not that kind, a trainer of men. Breaking them to fit her styles, her rules; her _pets_. But naturally, he thought cynically, he hadn't realised until he was caught too deep. Still, he was stronger than her, _she'd_ never broken him to her halter. His mother had always warned him about the twisted people who wanted to control others. Break them into a monotony with no true life.

How ironic that the woman who claimed a desire for freedom would be the person to subjugate others to her whims. All it ever seemed to need was a smile, the one where she tilt her head back and to the left exposing that slim column of milky flesh. She seemed submissive, but the cruel smirk always lingered at the corners of her lips and deep in her eyes.

_You don't fool me - those pretty eyes  
That sexy smile - you don't fool me  
You don't rule me - you're no surprise  
You're telling lies - you don't fool me  
Mmm, mama said be careful of that girl  
Mama said you know that she's no good  
Mama said be cool, don't you be no fool_

Most weeks she'd "Be busy tomorrow; important work to be done, you know how it is love." and off she'd go to another 'tryst'. But that didn't mean it still hurt. Just slightly. Still, he'd lasted longer with her than any of her other pets, he knew her ways. He could even pick out which one of her toys she'd play with next.

If he'd thought of marrying her – and he had, sometimes – then he'd have been cuckolded a dozen times over and more by now. Sesshoumaru knew that she'd suffered abuse in the past; from father and a boyfriend and he supposed that was why she felt the need to be the way she was. As much as he hated her ways, he couldn't hate _Kagura_. She was sweet and kind, she loved Rin very much; but when that fey mood took over her she'd be gone.

_You don't fool me, and break you  
You don't rule me, you don't fool me  
You don't fool me, she'll take you  
You don't fool me, and break you  
Sooner or later you'll be playing by her rules_

Oh, if only he could be bothered to tell Kagura's next victim what he'd be put through. But he still wanted her, and wanted to be loved by her. And yet . . . he refused to be tamed on a whim. Especially when he'd met The Other Ones; so, so, so, _grey_ and unoriginal. A sheep. He didn't want to love her any more.

_Baby you don't fool me, yeah  
You don't fool me, you don't have to say don't mind  
You don't have to teach me things I know  
Sooner or later youll be playing by her rules  
Oh, (fool you) oh, (rule you) she'll take you (take you)  
And break you (break you)  
Yeah_

He actually pitied the poor sap she'd dumped him for. He'd be broken and trained soon enough. Somewhere deep down, where he wasn't hurting he was glad he was free.

He only wished Kagura could be freed of the past that tethered her with invisible chains to a lifestyle she almost certainly didn't want. Not truly.


	9. You're My Best Friend

A/N: Yo! Thanks to my readers, reviewers and people who favourite me, my story or both. I hope you stuck out this long drought and that you enjoy this next story. This was written on 17/08/09, I have no idea when this is being uploaded, so I'm assuming it's late on in the month. Enjoy. **Uploaded 23/08/09 (I've kept my original A/N's in tact for reasons unknown, yet probably humorous in nature. And what the heck, I'll load them all up today to apologise for my past drought and the upcoming one in the order written, hence the laborious times and dates in the A/N's)**

**Pairing:** Inuyasha/Kagome (it could hardly be anyone else could it now?)  
**Genre:** Romance/Friendship/Introspection  
**Universe:** Canon  
**Warnings:** None. Aside from the usual one about a certain hanyou's potty mouth

**Word count:** 1 236

**You're My Best Friend**

_Ooo you make me live  
Whatever this world can give to me  
It's you, you're all I see  
Ooo, you make me live now honey  
Ooo, you make me live  
You're the best friend  
That I ever had  
I've been with you such a long time  
You're my sunshine  
And I want you to know  
That my feelings are true  
I really love you _

When Inuyasha woke from his unnatural slumber he found a young girl, stinking of artificial scents and fear, clinging to him. A naïve human he tricked into freeing him so that he could finally take the Shikon no Tama and become a true, pure – blooded youkai. But she stood her ground and subjugated him with a humiliatingly degrading word. He wanted to kill her.

After she shattered the Tama he hated her all the more. It was a burning hate that made his blood boil and his bones and muscles stretch and elongate as a terrifying blood lust tried to take control. Always he fought it back. She hadn't _meant_ to do it, and he didn't want to kill humans; even if they stank as badly as she did. She was by far the cleanest human he'd encountered in decades, if not centuries, but her stench was almost overbearing. The fault of her time no doubt.

But somewhere along the way, he could never quite pinpoint the exact moment, but it was certainly before Tsubaki had brought back Kikyou; her scent irritated less and less. He put it down to her time in the Sengoku Jidai and the purity of the air here. And that they had become friends.

Along the way the two friends picked up more friends and companions: Shippou, Miroku, Sango, Kirara. Hell; he'd even allow his bastard of a brother under the vague heading of 'companion' after what had happened when Kagome had disappeared down the well. Okay, and for helping destroy Naraku even though Sesshoumaru was after him for his own reasons. Or so he said. But Kagome knew him best.

Most of the time.

But she was his first friend! Kikyou didn't really count now that he'd had time to think about it properly.

He lived to look after Kagome, and every time she was hurt – physically, emotionally or mentally – his spirit crumbled a little. Kagome made him happy, that was why he couldn't bear to be away from her. That was what he always told himself. The secret he refused to admit to himself was that he loved her. Didn't want to be parted from her.

That was why he cried happiness after he found out that his brother had saved her and his friends. They weren't dead! Kagome was alive! His joy overflowed and cascaded down his cheeks.

So on that wonderful day when Naraku was finally defeated and everyone returned safe and alive. On that dreadful day when the magic of the Tama took Kagome away from him. He was desolate. He'd never _said_ "Kagome, I love you." Never. And now she'd never know.

His heart broke. He made it through those three horrible years because of Miroku, Sango, that idiot kitsune and even his aloof brother and his kid. His brother had even once said, annoyed after having beaten him to a pulp with no response from Inuyasha, "How are you to live to see that miko of yours if you refuse to fight?! You are our father's son and my brother and you could easily live the years for that miko. If this Sesshoumaru chose not to kill you that is." A crumb of hope, added onto the rest, it was meagre; but enough to keep him alive.

And then Kagome came back.

_You're my best friend  
You're my best friend.  
You're the first one  
When things turn out bad  
You know I'll never be lonely  
You're my only one  
And I love  
The things that you do  
You're my best friend  
Ooo, you make me live. _

When Inuyasha first spoke to Kagome he was brash and uncouth. That would never change, not really. But he had offered to save her, and save her he did; even if he had then turned on her and tried to kill her. Grudgingly, they became teammates; and then friends. Kagome's first taste of true panic – laced fear had been when Yura had tried to kill Inuyasha. There was so much blood!

During Inuyasha's fight with his brother he had screamed at her that "I'll protect you!!" Nobody had ever said anything so fervently to her. Her heart flourished with friendship, and she suspected that that was when the first true seed of love had been planted in her heart. In that instant all her fear melted away in the sure – fire knowledge that _no matter what_ Inuyasha would always be there for her.

And then there was Kikyou. The one who sowed a multitudinous number of seeds of doubts and left her feeling absolutely inadequate.

The two gathered more friends and family on the quest. Shippou who was like her son; Sango, her heart's true sister and Miroku, someone she knew would become her brother when he married Sango. She found herself surrounded by love on both sides of the well. She'd never been happier – school aside.

When Inuyasha became youkai for the first time there was undiluted terror. She couldn't stop him! She tried to say the word, but Sesshoumaru came before she had the chance. He subdued Inuyasha and left him blood – soaked and unconscious on the floor. Again. Sesshoumaru was the one who told them how to stop it happening again, and she could only feel gratitude to the distant youkai. Inuyasha was too precious to lose. Not to his blood, Naraku or to Kikyou!

That was when she realised how much she loved him. That was when tears began to flow and words were shouted in anger. She never stopped loving him.

So on that day when Naraku was defeated; when she was dragged _into_ the Shikon no Tama itself, she was afraid. So afraid. She cried out for Inuyasha, and Inuyasha came. He saved her, helped her defeat the jewel and let her make the wish! "Disappear!"

The magic of the Tama brought her to her modern family and took Inuyasha and her feudal family away from her. She didn't even know if they all survived. She was desolate. She'd never _said_ "Inuyasha, I love you." Never. And now he'd never know.

Only the fact that she had family and friends on this side of the well kept going. There weren't any youkai or hanyou in her time. She wanted there to be! Even Sesshoumaru would've been something. She could've found out what happened to them. But she was left alone with a permanently bleeding wound where her feudal family and friends held a place in her heart. It couldn't even scar over as there was no closure.

Then, the day she graduated from high school the well opened. Her old family knew where she belonged and let her go _home_. To Inuyasha and the Sengoku Jidai. Inuyasha was already there welcoming her with his large, rough hand.

She was home.

_I want you to know  
That my feelings are true  
I really love you _

"I love you."

"I love you."

It was all they needed to say, three forced years apart had only deepened and strengthened their love.

**Post – story A/N:** It's pretty cool writing Queenuyasha stories while listening/watching _The Nightmare Before Christmas_. I love that film, if you've seen it you probably agree with me, if you've not seen it: SEE IT SOON!

Maybe I'll start writing stories for it.

At the moment the _Kidnap Mr. Sandy Claws_ song is on. Awesomesauce.

* * *


	10. Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon

A/N: I'm actually typing this on the 17/08/09, but my internet's now been cut off until the 29th. But I have ways! I shall _attempt_ to either use my Gran's computer to upload my chapters until then, or try to finangle the internet on during our free usage hours. Those being between midnight and eight a.m. Basically, if you're reading this before the 29th of August 2009, well, be happy okay?

I also apologise _in advance_ for not being able to reply to any reviews or PMs until the 29th unless I'm _incredibly_ lucky. On the plus side, I'll have a lot of stories written.

Well, in the immortal words of Freddie Mercury who is a music **god**: _I'll face it with a grin! I'm never giving in! On with the show!_

******Uploaded 23/08/09 (I've kept my original A/N's in tact for reasons unknown, yet probably humorous in nature. And what the heck, I'll load them all up today to apologise for my past drought and the upcoming one in the order written, hence the laborious times and dates in the A/N's)**

Pairing: Kagome/Inuyasha_  
_**Genre:** Pure fluff/Family/Romance  
**Universe:** Canon, surprisingly.  
**Warnings:** May exceed daily recommended dosage of pure, sugary fluff. Get ye to a hospital if you suffer from three or more of the following: Severe 'squeeing'; a warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of your stomach; a silly grin; 'aaaawing' more than once a chapter; sore eyes from reading too much; a desire to create more fluff. **Fluff is highly addictive and dangerous! If you feel that you or a friend is addicted to fluffy stories, call this hotline now: 0800 – KYOOT.**

**Word count:** 974

**Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon**

_I go out to work on Monday morning  
Tuesday I go off to honeymoon  
I'll be back again before it's time for sunnydown  
I'll be lazing on a Sunday afternoon_

Same old, same old really. Albeit in a strange kind of sense. It wasn't in the exact details, but the shape of the days and the way everyone interacted. Kagome had two families, and each one was comfortable in their familiarities, and surprising in their minute actions.

Mama would be there in the mornings, waking her with the delicious smell of breakfast baiting the air, summoning the slumbering children to wakefulness. She would greet her long absent daughter with a smile that never lost one shred of cheer or optimism despite the many scars her daughter now had and her dropping grades when Kagome had once been a top student. Mama was there to hold her and comfort her when her troubles with Inuyasha occasionally overwhelmed her and coerced her into seeking refuge with her Mama.

Souta was there in the afternoons glued to his television and every so often flicking his eyes to the well house looking for his 'Inu – no – nii – chan' so he could teach him a new computer game. He was there with his father's dimly remembered smile to cheer her up when pressure from two different times bore down upon her.

Grandpa would be there in the evenings to grumble and to tell his interminable stories that contained more truth than Kagome had ever thought possible. He would _always_ try to purify Inuyasha with his sutras even though he knew they didn't work – a quirk kept for constancy – and he was there to listen and to be.

Inuyasha would storm in through her bedroom window or through the front door demanding her back with scowls and furious words, "You've been here too long! We have to get those shards, Kagome, _come on_!" It was something Kagome found she could look forward to on those boring Sunday nights because his eyes couldn't lie. Those mellow eyes with their slightly elongated pupils would glare at her. Glare his sometimes well – hidden worry for her and his never hidden need for her. Kagome never told anyone of the deeper meanings behind Inuyasha's words because they were her little secret. His constantly changing eyes would tell her what had happened back home, before she'd even made it through the well to her new family.

_Bicycling on every Wednesday evening  
Thursday I go waltzing to the zoo  
I come from London town  
I'm just an ordinary guy  
Fridays I go painting in the Louvre  
I'm bound to be proposing on a Saturday night  
There he goes again  
I'll be lazing on a Sunday, lazing on a Sunday  
Lazing on a Sunday afternoon_

With her other family she would ride her bike or walk or; and it was her favourite, she would get to ride piggyback on Inuyasha as the wind ran its nimbly mischievous hands through her hair and tangled it. She loved nothing more than to be able to lean into Inuyasha's warmth and rejoice in the knowledge that there were fewer places she could be than where she was at the instant. Even as they almost flew through the forest hopping from treetop to treetop. Or as they leapt whole rivers in a single bound.

With startling irregularity Kagome and her family would meet the most beautiful youkai any of them had ever seen. Then Sesshoumaru would dance for them as he fought Inuyasha. Two silver – haired fey creatures, one all in pure white and the other in bloody red would dance with blades and fists to kill the other. Literal deadly beauty. Yet, never had Sesshoumaru killed Inuyasha though he had the chance, and Inuyasha hadn't ever tried to kill Sesshoumaru and even panicked after seeing Sesshoumaru nearly die – once saving Inuyasha's own life! The brothers were a triptych, created by masters. Killers, protectors and saviours. Kagome by far preferred her hanyou's gentleness to Sesshoumaru's iced edges.

Evening camps too were patterned, but intricately sub – patterned in calligraphy and brilliant inks. Shippou and Kirara brought vibrant yellows and burning oranges of play and trickery to what could otherwise be a stark and scary trek. They grew so fast, but they looked the same – Inuyasha and Sango both said it was because of youkai ageing patterns. Miroku would always try to fondle Sango's behind and it truly was a game!

To the onlookers, privy to both the combatants' faces and emotions it was like a game of Hide and Seek mixed with Tig. He would sneak up behind her and so slowly bring his 'cursed hand' and to the curve of her backside. Sango would more often than not be aware of it during those sleepy evenings by the fire and her eyes would glint with anger and, the longer they were together as a group, with a budding emotion that Kagome knew only too well: love. But it wouldn't do for Miroku to know this! So Sango would scream and smack Miroku with about half her strength. Another game to colour in royal purple and soft coral the greyness of repetitiveness.

But most of all. Oh! Most of all Kagome loved those warm afternoons just relaxing after a very hard morning's work. Sango and Miroku would go off somewhere to meditate or practice and Kagome would just find an open spot, scented with flowers and just daydream away the hours. More often than not Inuyasha would steal up beside and they would just sit together in companionable quiet, undisturbed by anything. It was during those wordless times that Kagome would swear on the Shikon no Tama itself that their love for each other became almost palpable and it was perfect.

Those lazy afternoons lying next to her relaxed Inuyasha were perfect.

**Post – story A/N:** _Nightmare_ is still on. Jack's just died. :(

* * *

* * *


	11. Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy

A/N: The perfect song for this particular person. Don't you think? So cheeky and upbeat. Again, I'm seeing into the future as this is being written at 00:25 on the 18/08/09. So yes, this is my third songfic in a row. Tomorrow it's onto Spritz and my super – special secret story which I _was_ hoping to publish on Thursday. If I can those two should appear on Saturday.

******Uploaded 23/08/09 (I've kept my original A/N's in tact for reasons unknown, yet probably humorous in nature. And what the heck, I'll load them all up today to apologise for my past drought and the upcoming one in the order written, hence the laborious times and dates in the A/N's)**Pairing: Miroku/Sango  
**Genre:** Romance/Seduction/Humour  
**Universe:** AU  
**Warnings:** Slight perversion – it _is_ Miroku after all

* * *

**Word count:** 1 032

**Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy**

_I can dim the lights and sing you songs full of sad things  
We can do the tango just for two  
I can serenade and gently play on your heart strings  
Be your valentino just for you_

They met at a dance studio. Sango had been told to take dance lessons to improve her balance and flexibilty; Miroku ran the best studio in town and came highly recommended by Inuyasha, her martial arts trainer and Sesshoumaru; the weapons trainer.

It got off to a rocky start when Miroku had taken her through the basic steps of the waltz, his hand slipping ever lower and lower. Then the sweet, sweet feel of soft flesh in his hand. Totally worth the near jaw – breaking slap that had followed. It was even worth the glowering threatening visit from the two inu brothers. But he wasn't a smooth talker for nothing! Eventually he took Sango on a date and they both enjoyed it.

Miroku was the only one able to make Sango cry just by singing. The lights down to a mysterious dimness and the melody slipping seductively in and out of the corners of the room. Or, if he wished, he could sing a dark tango and slip limbs in and out of one another in a perfectly orchestrated tangle of aesthetic perfection. "I'll be yours forever." He whispered the night of their sixth month anniversary; he'd known for half that time that he would never love any other as he loved Sango.

_Ooh love - ooh loverboy  
What're you doin' tonight, hey boy  
Set my alarm, turn on my charm  
That's because I'm a good old-fashioned lover boy_

Sango called him genteel. Old fashioned. A perfect gentleman in manners and style. Miroku had never felt so complimented as this time the words, vacuous or condemning from empty or cruel mouths, fell from tender lips. Everything she spoke was poetry. Except for the frequent times when his hand slipped and landed on the delicious curves of her sumptuous rear; then it was all rock hard slaps and piercing screams of "_Pervert!_" Then she took back everything she said about him, only to utter it again with sincerity days, or even hours later.

_Ooh let me feel your heartbeat (Grow faster, faster)  
Ooh ooh can you feel my love heat  
Come on and sit on my hot-seat of love  
And tell me how do you feel right after-all  
I'd like for you and I to go romancing  
Say the word - your wish is my command_

Sango had the most intoxicating pulse; he loved nothing better than to curl up next to her, or sit on her lap and listen to the steady, strong beat that could lull him to sleep faster than anything else.

Admittedly, that was _sometimes_ a disadvantage, but worth it. Especially when the excitement of the moment, or the exertion of the dancing sent their pulses soaring to new heights and the glistening diamond speckled face opposite just whispered huskily of its desire to be stroked, kissed, tasted.  
He really would do anything for his intelligent sweetheart. All he had to do was ask, and it would be done. "Anything my dear one. Anything at all." She never did ask.

When Miroku had been torn away from his love on unavoidable business matters he felt as if the world had grown dimmer, his sun eclipsed by the dark clouds of dullness and lethargy. In a frustrated explosion of passion he penned a letter speaking of his feelings to Sango to let her know she wasn't forgotten. On the contrary, the memories only grew stronger and more intense the longer he was apart.

_When I'm not with you  
I think of you always  
(I miss those long hot summer nights)  
I miss you  
When I'm not with you  
Think of me always  
Love you - love you_

Those perfume scented nights haunt me, as I'm sure they haunt you with their sweet and tender moments where we dared, but never went too far. This dreary monotone bores me and I find that you are the painter who makes my life a living masterpeice. I am a mere pencil sketch waiting to be completed by you, every date, caress (I even miss your screams and slaps Sango dearest), stolen kiss adds another hue of colour to me. But I find the longer I'm kept prisoner here that my newly found brilliance is draining away like water.

I constantly dream of you and your stunning rapier wit and your undeniable grace. We must celebrate our reunion when I return. Leave it all to me my Diana. Let me arrange everything.

Your love, Miroku.

_Dining at the Ritz we'll meet at nine precisely  
One two three four five six seven eight nine o' clock  
I will pay the bill, you taste the wine  
Driving back in style, in my saloon will do quite nicely  
Just take me back to yours that will be fine (Come on and get it) _

It was all laid out. Reservations, wine, their own waiter. All Sango knew was that she was to dress smart and be ready by nine precisely.

Oh boy, was she surprised. Her mahogany eyes widened and sparkled with an almost gem – like tone as she stared at the table Miroku had reserved. Private and secluded. Just how they liked it. The wine was subtle and fruity; the food: dissolved on the tongue as only perfect cuisine could. Accidental caresses and long lingering looks were frequent and intimate. The 'accidental' caresses were completely absent. The meal was over too quickly, yet Miroku knew that he wanted it to be over faster than it already was. How paradoxical. But he couldn't wait to escort Sango back to her home and whatever would happen.

"Won't you come in Miroku? It is late and I don't want you driving home so late at night." He accepted willingly and entered.

_Ooh love, (There he goes again just like a good old-fashioned lover boy)  
Ooh loverboy  
What're you doin' tonight, hey boy  
Everything's all right  
Just hold on tight  
That's because I'm a good old-fashioned fashioned lover boy_

And they both loved it.

* * *

**Post – story A/N:** _Nightmare_ update: It's finished. I love Jack's last song – the _Poor Old Jack_ song (is it called that, or is it something I made up?) that one that ends on a triumphant reclamation of his identity. One of the best songs in the film; Danny Elfman sings brilliantly.

And obviously, the action sequence and the last few minutes: amazing! for the first and aaaaaaaw! for the latter.

* * *


	12. Bohemian Rhapsody

A/N: From the past I speak! This is the 18/08/09 speaking to you. The time is 18:57. I'm glad that I've got some fifty pages of _Queen_ fics either done (30 pages including this story) or pending with lyrics and rough outlines. Why? Because I _really_ need lyrics.

**Bohemian Rhapsody** is a _Queen_ song which can be found on the album _A Night At The Opera_, first released in 1975. The song was released the same year. This is probably their most famous song, and I've yet to find a person who doesn't know at least half the lyrics off by heart – including the rocking instrumental. I know this song almost back to front, I love it! So, I did my utmost best to do this epic song justice. I hope it works out. **Uploaded 23/08/09 (I've kept my original A/N's in tact for reasons unknown, yet probably humorous in nature. And what the heck, I'll load them all up today to apologise for my past drought and the upcoming one in the order written, hence the laborious times and dates in the A/N's)**

* * *

**Pairing:** Kagura/Sesshoumaru  
**Genre:** Tragedy/Angst  
**Universe:** AU  
**Warnings:** Murder, suicide

**Word count:** 1 849

**Bohemian Rhapsody**

_Is this the real life -  
Is this just fantasy -  
Caught in a landslide -  
No escape from reality –  
__Open your eyes  
__Look up to the skies and see –  
__I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy –  
__Because I'm easy come, easy go  
__A little high, little low  
__Anywhere the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me  
__To me_

There was no escape from reality any more. He had killed his fantasy, his love. The moon had just risen over the wooded hills a few miles away and the land was still bathed in the light of the soft-dying day. It was sublimely beautiful and Sesshoumaru saw none of it even though he sat at his desk overlooking the vista.

He saw not with his shadowed golden eyes, but with his mind's eye as the memories played and played. Even the ones he wished to forget. Especially the ones he wished – _needed_ – to forget. His family, especially his step – mother trod so carefully around him, softly speaking, softly walking. Even the moronic hanyou was showing sympathy.

Sympathy Sesshoumaru felt he neither needed nor wanted.

The wind gusted harder and Sesshoumaru turned his face aside, dragging his absurdly long hair back into a high pony tail. She loved it when he did that, always said it looked ridiculously beautiful. He thought it made him look too much like his mother, so he seldom did it because he hated the faint look of pain his father got when he saw his son looking like that.

_Mama, just killed a man,  
Put a gun against his head,  
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead,  
Mama, life had just begun,  
But now I've gone and thrown it all away –  
__Mama, oooo,  
__Didn't mean to make you cry –  
__If I'm not back again this time tomorrow  
__Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters - _

Unbidden, the web of memory ensnared him as he looked at a picture on his desk. It was of her seventeenth birthday party. It had been less than a year ago. And she was so proud over being older than him and finally able to drive.

It had been held at his home because Naraku was a drunkard. And he liked to hit things like Kagura or her little siblings. They'd managed to escape though – their mother had taken custody of them less than a year after the divorce.

Only Sesshoumaru knew of the scars Kagura hid beneath her clothes.

Three months ago he'd gone to pick her up and was slightly early, as usual. Her house was tranquil and quiet like all the others in the terrace, but an air of stomach cramping malice and fear hung over it as he stood by her gate. Kagura hated letting him in even though he had a key to her house.

He went straight inside as he had his brother and step – mother in the care with him and he didn't want to wait. The door opened noiselessly and he walked around downstairs, not making a noise because the silence was too thick. Almost terrifying. There was a noise upstairs and he followed it to the bathroom. The en-suite to the master bedroom.

"Kagura!" She was sprawled on the floor, limbs thrashing as her father leant over her bared back.

He was cutting into her back with a razor! The design was so wide and bloody that he must have traced it a score of times. Kagura was nearly unconscious, but when he'd screamed her name the ruby eyes ripped wide open and she looked at her frozen boyfriend.

Her face had been desecrated. Her face was pallid and bruised, black mascara tracked its way down her cheeks from where she'd cried and her beautiful lips – ones that should have been tilted into a dazzling smile – had been split open and bitten bloody.

Naraku lunged for him, his face a grotesque mask of fury and insanity and Sesshoumaru stood there, frozen with shock, all he could think of was Kagura's piteous face. Somehow, drawing from her bottomless tenacity Kagura moved faster and pushed Sesshoumaru just enough that the knife had sunk to the hilt in his left arm, inches from his heart.

Naraku kicked out at Kagura and caught her under the ribs, sending her rolling heavily into the bath before shoving Sesshoumaru to the floor. Sesshoumaru tried to take the knife out of its fleshy sheath, but it was wedged tight and every pull had the knife scraping into his bones. Naraku tried to stamp down on his chest but he managed to roll to his right and somehow managed to get to his feet after Kagura tackled her father again.

Screaming furiously, "You filthy little bitch!" he slammed her head into the landing railing and she staggered and fell, clinging onto the banister to stop herself from being at the mercy of Naraku's vicious kicks. And then Sesshoumaru pushed Naraku hard, trying to get him away from the stairs so he and Kagura could run.

Downstairs the door slammed into the wall as Inuyasha and his mother burst into the house. They halted as they saw the battle going on at the top of the stairs. They saw Sesshoumaru push Naraku and Naraku twist awkwardly as Kagura pulled him the other way. Towards the stairs. Naraku was off balance and the momentum was enough to send him falling down the stairs.

But he still had his hand twisted and locked in Kagura's hair. She was pulled with him.

Father and daughter lay in a tangle of limbs at the bottom of the stairs. Sesshoumaru staggered down the stairs with his eyes focussed on Kagura's still form. She was still alive; Naraku died before the ambulance came.

Sesshoumaru spent two days at Kagura's side in the ICU ward, pleading with Kagura to wake up. She died towards dawn on the third day.

_Too late, my time has come,  
Sends shivers down my spine  
Body's aching all the time,  
Goodbye everybody - I've got to go –  
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth –  
__Mama, ooo –  
__I don't want to die,  
__I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all – _

At her funeral, left arm heavily bandaged and in a sling, Sesshoumaru looked on with a blank mask, eyes so cold and lifeless that his tears were frozen. He could never cry enough to mourn Kagura.

His life was so empty. Where was Kagura to tease him until he couldn't hold back his smiles? Where was Kagura to walk with and talk with and love?

That was when the ache solidified and became a part of him; the part that shut him off from nearly everyone else. The thoughts started a little while later, "I wish I'd never been born. I wish I'd never met Kagura." The last he repented instantly. He never wanted that to happen!

_I see a little silhouetto of a man,  
Scaramouche, Scaramouche - will you do the Fandango –  
Thunderbolt and lightning - very very frightening me –  
__Galileo, Galileo  
__Galileo figaro – Magnifico –  
__I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me –  
__He's just a poor boy from a poor family –  
__Spare him a life from this monstrosity –  
__Easy come, easy go – will you let me go –  
__Bismillah! No – we will not let you go – let him go  
__Bismillah! We will not let you go – let him go  
__Will not let you go – let me go  
__Will not let you go – let me go  
__No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no –  
__Mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go –  
__Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me – for me – _

It was like a war in his mind as he ghosted through his life; he was an automaton, but not enough to worry his family and friend. "He's coping well, he'll get better."

And every bedtime he was haunted as he replayed the battle that ended three lives. It was re-enacted in the halls of his mind and in shadow play on the walls.

He'd argue with himself. Screaming reasons for living into the growing darkness. But from the very beginning the screams were lacklustre and without real protest. Sometimes, while lying on his bed he'd listen to the fractured voices of reason and sorrow in his head fighting over what to do. He'd always been rational, and was almost always persuaded by the same argument again and again.

_So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye –  
So you think you can love me and leave me to die –  
__Oh baby – can't do this to me baby –  
__Just gotta get out – just gotta get right outta here – _

Kagura had left him; he wanted her back. Oh! How much he wanted her back there beside him leaning her black – haired head on his shoulder while he told her secrets and thing he'd never say to another.

He wanted to be there for Kagura to hold her and keep bad things from her. Until the day the beatings had lessened because Naraku feared what would happen if Sesshoumaru told anyone.

He didn't want to leave her alone! It hurt so much to be apart.

_Nothing really matters,  
__Anyone can see,  
__Nothing really matters – nothing really matters to me,_

He picked up the bottle with heavy hands, heavy heart and a light feeling in his soul. A fizzy rush fountained within and a slightly manic glaze overtook his eyes. Soon he would be gone and there'd be no guilt – razor sharp guilt slicing into his defences – over the two deaths on his hands.

He tipped the little white pills into his fine-boned white hands; all his hoarded painkillers. Counted them; all fifty-seven of them. The pills were rounded like a full moon . . . Kagura's last name was written with the kanji for 'moon'. She was dead now. The pills were chalky white, a colour of death. White like his hair. He would be dead soon.

He put the first three pills in his mouth.

_Any way the wind blows . . . _

The wind battered the house! Blast after powerful blast slammed into the house and through Sesshoumaru's open window with such force that the flying curtains pushed all of Sesshoumaru's trinkets off his desk and onto the floor with a loud clatter that it woke the rest of the household.

Footsteps ran to the door calling, "Sesshoumaru, you okay in there?"

Inuyasha opened the door expecting to be yelled at for such daring; their little sister Rin and his parents right on his footsteps.

Sesshoumaru lay on the bed sleeping, in his hand was an empty bottle and on the floor lay scattered a number of pills. Sesshoumaru's mouth hung slightly open and he looked so innocent lying there with his eyes closed; it was almost as if he were a child again. His markings stood out so clearly under the moonlight.

Rin went to her adopted biggest brother and shook his bare arm. It was deathly cold.

Rin began screaming.

The wind had come too late.

* * *

**A/N:** That took almost three hours! And don't why, if you need them I put in a special stock of tissues over there. Help yourselves.


	13. I Want It All

A/N: The time is 21:02 on the 19/08/09. Films of the night are: _Alice In Wonderland_ (_Disney_'s version) and _Disney_'s _Tarzan_. I'm not actually sure if I can get four stories done tonight as I've got quite a lot of things to do tonight. But I'll get two done, I'm pretty sure. I got three done last night after all!

Onto the story: I'm not sure it's all that good, but I sincerely hope that all the readers felt slightly unsettled reading it. ******Uploaded 23/08/09 (I've kept my original A/N's in tact for reasons unknown, yet probably humorous in nature. And what the heck, I'll load them all up today to apologise for my past drought and the upcoming one in the order written, hence the laborious times and dates in the A/N's)**

* * *

**Pairing:** Naraku/Onigumo/Kikyou  
**Genre:** Horror/Tragedy/Twisted love/Lust  
**Universe:** Canon  
**Warnings:** Perverse. Inappropriate touching and torture.

**Word count:** 1 549

**I Want It All**

_I want it all  
__I want it all  
__I want it all  
__And I want it now_

Onigumo had one creed and one creed only: take what you, when you want, any way you want it. It was his choice from a young age. As a child there was nothing he liked better than to catch a wild fox and play with it. Tweak it's ears until the fur was pulled out by the root and the frail cartilage keeping their shape had been twisted and warped out of all shape. Beat it with sticks and rocks and hoes listening to the high unsettling shrieks that made him smile and laugh.

It dulled quickly and he moved on to children doing the same thing. The begging was sweet and musical, and the blood ran thicker and redder. After the fourth child had disappeared from his village the others began to suspect a youkai. He was free to do as he wished until one day he grew too lax and the little one attacked him while he was touching her. She ran back to her family and he fled knowing that if he returned he would be beaten to death.

He didn't see why. He wanted to know what it was like, so he took her.

_Adventure seeker on an empty street  
Just an alley creeper light on his feet  
A young fighter screaming, with no time for doubt  
With the pain and anger, can't see a way out  
'It ain't much I'm asking,' I heard him say  
'Gotta find me a future, move out of my way!'_

A half turn of the moon later he was hungry on the edge of society. He wanted food and to do what he wanted. Onigumo lusted for violence and for something that feathered lightly in his heart. It was a thing he'd not tasted, but wanted all the more as that desire skimmed over and over him, making his lust for violence all the greater. The longer he spent alone the darker and brighter his features came, for Onigumo matured and grew handsome in the wilds.

He heard the war drums of horses and the crackling of fire while roaming in unknown lands and the feather touch rubbed harder and seemed to push him towards the bandits massacring a squalid collection of huts. It pleased him, and so he joined.

It was duller than he expected. They never stayed at a village long enough for him to enjoy the physical tortures he joyed in; and there was _certainly_ never enough time for him to pervert sanity and warp obedience the way he desired. He couldn't even toy with the slaves they sold because they wouldn't fetch a high enough price otherwise. "Who cares about money? I just want to destroy things!" An impetuous young man screamed at the leader who replied, "You're a vicious thing. You're not human! You're youkai!"

"I assure you, I'm human." Onigumo delivered that chillingly and all too calmly. The light of burning bridges in his eyes. He stabbed the leader in the chest and took over the band.

And Onigumo flourished. He was brilliant. The bandit band called themselves the Spiders and ranged far and wide over Japan, never staying in one region for the daimyo's to anger and try to destroy them; although their favourite haunt was Musashi's reign. It was centrally located and rich.

Onigumo was feared.

_I want it all  
I want it all  
I want it all  
And I want it now_

And Onigumo still wanted more. More money, more infamy, more women, more people to experiment on and rule over.

_This mighty people  
__Come gather round  
__Gotta get me a game plan  
__Gotta shake it the ground  
__Just give me what I know is mine  
__People do you hear me  
__Just give me a sign__  
It ain't much I'm asking if you want the truth  
Here's to the future for the dreams of youth_

The bandits grew stronger and stronger; more and more powerful and the group multiplied rapidly as Onigumo absorbed more and more bandits. He grew too strong though; his dark eyes glinting with unspeakable things and staring uncomfortably through the veils humans threw up to separate their inner self from their outer self. Onigumo made them fear the dark inside themselves.

And so the former leaders of the individual gangs gathered in conference one day when Onigumo was making his newest woman scream and agreed to kill him and leave. They felt tainted by the slick of Onigumo's taint. Next week Onigumo would die.

"Tomorrow we're going to take all the children in the villages we raid, and we're going to sell half of them to slavers and brothel keepers. The rest we keep. It is my due as your leader."

Empty shock met his words. "One of the children is said to hold a unique jewel: the Shikon no Tama. I want it."

That night, as Onigumo slept in his bed roll near the fire an intrepid bandit crept up to Onigumo's still form and threw a whole jug of sake onto him. Onigumo woke up cursing and then began to scream as five men threw lit brands onto him. Even while burning alive Onigumo thrive on pain and he slew three bandits before the rest fled and left him to die.

_I'm a man with a one track  
So much to do in one lifetime_

When Onigumo next woke up he was all but paralysed. He couldn't move, but his nerves were seared and burnt raw, exposed to the cold air. His throat was but a bloody mess and his cooked vocal chords were scarcely able to call for help once or twice.

"Nee – sama, I heard something." A little girl's head looked through the bushes at the cave entrance and shrank back at the sight of the blackened man. An older girl followed and she paled slightly. "Kaede, go home and get my bag. Quickly!"

"Yes Nee – sama!"

"I'm Kikyou, the miko of the village a short walk from here. I'll help you." Her voice was bland and monotone, but her eyes were concerned, if practical, running over his body with a medical eye. She was beautiful, far more so than any other woman he'd killed, paid for or taken regardless of her – or her family's objections. Forcing out a guttural "Onigumo." The agony that ensued sent him first into a coughing fit that had him choking on blood from his broiled lungs before thrusting him into painfully red blackness.

He dragged himself futilely back to wakefulness many a time, but always the drugs sent him back; but he garnered enough to know that this Kikyou child – miko was the purest in all Japan for she guarded the Shikon no Tama. It was more than enough to leave him wanting her and it. To stain her pale skin and the white jewel with delicious lifeblood. He wanted to hear her quiet voice lift itself higher than the castle of the dogs that flew in the clouds above Japan.

He always got want he wanted.

But the moons turned endlessly and Kikyou came less and less; the brat said "She doesn't want to be with you more often because you're _evil_. You're the bandit lord."

"Yes, and I'm going to take your sister and kill her."

"I hope you never get better!" She shouted before leaving in tears. She told Kikyou, but she kept coming, tending to his pus weeping wounds and speaking not at all. "I help you because you need it. You'll never move again."

Onigumo lay fuming, trying to prove her wrong, but the muscles were burned irreparably in many places and he couldn't move. His fury was a beacon to the insignificant youkai that lurked on the edges of villages and settlements and thrived on hatred and the sludgy sediments that polluted most humans.

They came in their droves whispering of glorious power, the ability to be undetected and to cause strife by imitating another's loved one and destroy relationships eternally. "All you could ever desire, just accept us, take us into your crippled shell and we will make you anew and more powerful than ever. You will be feared by all. Just say yes."

"Come. I give you my body and soul." They entered and pulled the wheat from the chaff; remaking everything they saw as good or weak. There was almost none of the former. His actions and lack of human or even youkai empathy made him perfect. The youkai tried to take command and destroy his soul; but Onigumo prevailed.

Naraku was born. And he had his plans and strategies.

_I want it all  
I want it all  
I want it all  
And I want it now  
And I want it now_

He had the power. He had the means far beyond what he had before. He was going to kill that filthy hanyou for trying to take his Kikyou away from him. For tainting her. And then he was going to kill Kikyou and take the Shikon no Tama in order to get every single thing he desired.

He always took what he wanted. By force. And he had promised to rent Kikyou and that hanyou Inuyasha apart forever.

* * *

**Post – story A/N:** A strange take on a strange pairing. There's another Naraku/Kikyou in the planning but if anything, even more perverse. It's an AU. To _The Invisible Man_. Imagine having Naraku as a stalker! Yep.

_Alice_ just finished during the last paragraph and it's got no plot whatsoever. Quite perfect then considering how plotless _both_ _Alice_ books are aside from 'Alice wants to go home. Wackiness and hilarity ensue'. Yes, dear readers, for those of you who didn't already know this there are two _Alice_ books. _Alice in Wonderland_ and _Alice Through The Looking Glass_. I think _Disney_ does quite well at getting across the lunacy of the books and condenses the books done finely. Actually, when most people think of the _Alice_ books what they tend to think of are the events from the _Disney_ film. It's a shame they didn't really put the _Jabberwocky_ poem in it properly though.

The dance of the cards sequence is just nuts! As is – no. Everything in the film is just insane. The books are still better, but as a film it's very good. And yes, I _will_ be seeing Tim Burton's adaptation next year. It's released just over a fortnight before my birthday and I can't wait.

I can't say I'm all that keen on Depp and his costume as the Hatter though; it should be far subtler. And I'm _really_ not keen on the rumour that the Hatter is Alice's love interest. I think Depp's more of a turn – off for me. What I'm really looking forward to are the secondary characters. _Stephen Fry_ is the Chesire Cat! My mum thinks he'd be better as the Caterpillar, and while I kind of agree; I want to see how much Melchett (from the _Blackadder_ series) insanity comes out in the Cat.

I hope it's not _too_ Burton though. Darker and edgier is more than fine! But _Alice_ is good and dark and scary, but it'll lack a lot of charm if it's too American and dark and scary. It needs a kind of eccentricity to it. And if there're too many obvious American accents I have to say I'll be _very_ disappointed. _Alice_ is quintessentially British. I don't mind some American accents; but not all of them. Please?


	14. The Show Must Go On

A/N: 22:54 on the 19/08/09 and I'm onto my second story of the night and _Disney_'s_ Tarzan_. I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of putting _Disney_ before the film title, but there're many adaptations of these films so it helps. Okay, quickly, let me just say that I love the introductory five or six minutes to this film. Starting _in media res_ and never knowing quite exactly what happened. Brilliant! And there's barely a word so the Disney Tradition of Talking Animals doesn't happen for seven or eight minutes and the action sequences are pretty awesome. And the subtly hinted death of Tarzan's human parents: very well dealt with.

Thank you from the past to all my future readers and reviewers. Except that now you're reading this you're my current readers and reviewers. But you aren't to the me who's writing this as opposed to the me who'll be reading the reviews and PMs shortly. Argh. Temporal headache coming on. To Queenuyasha writing! **Uploaded 23/08/09 (I've kept my original A/N's in tact for reasons unknown, yet probably humorous in nature. And what the heck, I'll load them all up today to apologise for my past drought and the upcoming one in the order written, hence the laborious times and dates in the A/N's)**

* * *

**Pairing:** Sesshoumaru/Kagura  
**Genre:** Tragedy/Romance  
**Universe:** Canon divergent. Mostly AU I guess  
**Warnings:** None

**Word count:** 826

**The Show Must Go On**

_Empty spaces - what are we living for?  
Abandoned places - I guess we know the score..  
On and on!  
Does anybody know what we are looking for?_

She sat by the pool, looking at him. There was an empty abyss where her heart once was. A place that had been long abandoned and then tenderly filled in by softly stealing emotions. This shouldn't have happened. How could it - ?

Sesshoumaru was dead! He wasn't allowed to die. What was she to do now? She wasn't crying although she wanted to.

_Another hero - another mindless crime.  
Behind the curtain, in the pantomime_

But he'd hate to be called a hero. He revelled in destroying those who killed and destroyed without thought. Sesshoumaru loved to watch, mostly passively, from the tree line as his sibling's group fought on the battlefields he'd lead them to.

But there was a weak spot. There always was. It was herself and the two human children they'd just picked up. Rin, his human girl and Kohaku; the boy she'd come to look after. It wasn't fair! None of the four had had a chance at happiness, so they'd accidentally fashioned a kind – of one from remnants and unwanted fragments.

Prior to his death Naraku must've hired an assassin to go after the children. But Sesshoumaru had gone to defend them while she fought off the other killers. And something had gone wrong; he'd been hit. And he'd died.

Kagura had sent the kids off with Inuyasha who'd arrived too late. They shouldn't be here. She would come back for them; she would _not_ leave them alone.

_Whatever happens, I'll leave it all to chance.  
Another heartache - another failed romance.  
On and on!  
Does anybody know what we are living for?  
I guess I'm learning  
I must be warmer now..  
I'll soon be turning round the corner now.  
Outside the dawn is breaking,  
But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free!_

Her thought turned back to Sesshoumaru.

She'd had so many failed romances. They fled when they found out she an elemental wind youkai that was crafted rather than shaped out of the sentient – made element itself. Or that she had once been unwillingly tied to that cretin Naraku; they never discerned between willing and unwilling unlike Sesshoumaru.

Hell, he certainly hadn't welcomed her with open arms, but he'd tolerated her and demanded she prove herself to him. And she loved it. He put his trust in her and she in him. They were making each other stronger. She had been learning to smile with him. And they'd just become engaged.

_Inside my heart is breaking!  
My make-up may be flaking!  
But my smile, still, stays on!_

She couldn't shake that new - learnt gift of his from her face even though she felt her soul shivering on the point of breaking. She could feel the slight ache of her new mark – a small blue crescent moon on her wrist from their claiming kiss. Lifting back his sleeve she ran her blood flaked fingers over the feather on his wrist. Only two days old; they weren't permanent and would have faded after the marriage, but it showed that they belonged to each other.

_My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies,  
Fairy tales of yesterday, will grow but never die_

The butterflies on her kimono flew dazedly across the fabric as she knelt down by his body, the bright colours were a travesty. He had had the kimono made especially for her, they matched the markings on her face. She gave a broken sob. How could even a piece of cloth contrive to drive her deeper into sorrow?

The memories she had of him would always grow; and she would treasure them more than the rarest of jewels or weapons carved from youkai bone. And she began to smile, a thought had occurred to her. One that made her laugh with malicious glee.

_I'll face it with a grin!  
I'm never giving in!  
On with the show!_

_I'll top the bill!  
I'll overkill!  
I have to find the will to carry on!_

She would take vengeance for his murder. And she stood up, holding onto Sesshoumaru's hand tightly. She bent down and heaved his dead weight onto her slender arms and set off in search of his mother's castle. Rumour had it she could bring a soul back to a body. Sesshoumaru obviously could, but he wasn't here to wield Tenseiga now was he?

And that hanyou brother of his would aid her, on pain of pain that would cause the most bloodthirsty demon – Sesshoumaru actually – to quail in fear. He would help her bring her love back. Besides, he'd probably not want his brother dead.

With a grim smile on her face she took to the skies, she would bring him back. As sure as she could ride the winds, Sesshoumaru would come back to her!

* * *

**Post – story A/N:** I may return to this later and expand upon it.

Thought on the film: Why is Tarzan clean – shaven? He's an ape – man and should have a long bushy beard, or at least a short hacked off one thanks to his knife spear. But he looks naturally beardless. He looks about twenty! He doesn't even have bum fluff! He has a very impressively pointy nose and chin though. His hair should be longer too.

And I never knew Brian Blessed was Clayton until I watch/listened to it while I was typing this story. An instantly recognisable voice. And he also did the Tarzan yell too. I don't really like Jane though. I mean, she's okay, but a bit of a wet hen. Her voice is grating too, I suspect her VA is an American putting on a stereotypical well – educated Victorian woman voice. At times I can hear it slip out of the too – cultured voice. Or slip too much into it and overplay it.

And I _can't_ be the only one to have thought Terk was a boy. Seriously. Clayton though; oh I love Clayton. And Sabor. Sabor was a fantastic half hour villain. Never said a word either.

I can't say I liked the music all that much. Some of it was good; I _hated_ the Camp Site Impromptu Instrumental, and some of the drum work could have used a more African taste. The backgrounds are jaw dropping though. Overall, I like it, the violence is nasty and bloody for the most part – unusual for a _Disney_ film and Kerchak is shot and dies onscreen. Without bleeding, yes, but he still dies, and quite painfully too. Best death? Clayton. No doubt. He hangs himself accidentally while trying to machete Tarzan's limbs off! This film should've been called _Clayton_. I mean, you knew within five seconds of _hearing his voice_ that he'd be the villain; did I mention his voice is perfect? Because it is. Well, I enjoyed _Clayton_ very much. I think tomorrow it'll be _The Rescuers_ and _Peter Pan_.


	15. Too Much Love Will Kill You

A/N: It's half past seven in the evening of what is probably going to be one of the best days of my life: the 20th August 2009. Why?

Today, all UK college students taking AS (firs year) and A Levels (second year) got their results. I was a second year so the results I got decided whether I got into my first or second choice university; or if I had to go through clearing to get a spare space.

I took five A Levels (the most you can do; and very, very few people take five A Levels) and my grades were AAAAB. This means that I got into my first choice university: Oxford University. Today also marked my first ever legal drink. Today has been a good day.

Films for today are _The Rescuers_ and _Peter Pan_. But first, let me tell you about the song. It's a wonderful bittersweet ballad; I _think_ it's from the 1995 album _Made In Heaven_, so this was written as Freddie was dying. Super poignant. It's one of my favourites, as I type this the music hall in my brain is ringing to the song. The harmonies are just beautiful.

**Uploaded 23/08/09 (I've kept my original A/N's in tact for reasons unknown, yet probably humorous in nature. And what the heck, I'll load them all up today to apologise for my past drought and the upcoming one in the order written, hence the laborious times and dates in the A/N's)**

**Pairing:** Kikyou/Inuyasha/Kagome (could it be any other?)  
**Genre:** Romance/Angst/Betrayal/Introspection  
**Universe:** AU  
**Warnings:** None

**Word count:** 792

**Too Much Love Will Kill You**

_I'm just the pieces of the man I used to be  
Too many bitter tears are raining down on me  
I'm far away from home  
And I've been facing this alone  
For much too long  
I feel like no-one ever told the truth to me  
About growing up and what a struggle it would be  
In my tangled state of mind  
I've been looking back to find  
Where I went wrong_

Inuyasha sat in the dark of his room, hardly caring to sit comfortably, let alone turn on the lights. It wasn't even his room anyway, just some borrowed space from an uncaring anonymous face for a night. He'd been driving for most of a day and night, only stopping when the rain forced him to pull over into a dank motel. It wasn't even that he was tired; his hanyou status meant he could go several days without sleep, he just needed to think and breathe and feel for once.

He wiped a few more tears from his face, mildly surprised as he'd thought he'd run out of them hundreds of miles back. Where his heart was. Or could have been. Or should have been.

He didn't know any more. Hells, the last time he'd cried was when his mum had died when he was eleven. But he was prevaricating, trying to avoid thinking about what had happened. It couldn't have been all his fault; so he tried to remember where he had gone wrong, and when his life had changed.

He'd kind of suspected it; but didn't know what he had expected. He'd just snapped under pressure. He loved her, Kagome, but didn't he love Kikyou too? He'd left her for Kikyou after all.

_Too much love will kill you  
If you can't make up your mind  
Torn between the lover  
And the love you leave behind  
You're headed for disaster  
'cos you never read the signs  
Too much love will kill you  
Every time_

But now he was lost. Following his heart had left him lost in a darkening mist, stranded in a featureless landscape. His heart was breaking for himself and the women with whose emotions he'd dabbled. Strung along with his slender lies and smooth voices. He wasn't going to either of them. So if he felt like this, dying a slow death, perhaps they were dying too? He was killing them.

Maybe he didn't love either of them.

_I'm just the shadow of the man I used to be  
And it seems like there's no way out of this for me  
I used to bring you sunshine  
Now all I ever do is bring you down  
How would it be if you were standing in my shoes  
Can't you see that it's impossible to choose  
No there's no making sense of it  
Every way I go I'm bound to lose_

He was a nothing man. What kind of true man would do this? He was a shade of what he should be; no chivalry or manners resided in him any more. Heh. Shade was appropriate; both Kagome and Kikyou had called him strong and honourable; a sun – eyed knight, how could they both do that? They never knew each other until _that_ happened. He wasn't going to bring them joy any more, no, just shadowed pain. Dull and enduring. He shouldn't have done that to them. He should have chosen, but he had to tease them both. Shameful man.

_Too much love will kill you  
Just as sure as none at all  
It'll drain the power that's in you  
Make you plead and scream and crawl  
And the pain will make you crazy  
You're the victim of your crime  
Too much love will kill you  
Every time_

He jut wanted to scream and crawl away from his shames. He'd thought he'd found an artist to colour in the pencil sketch that he was, bring his pale emptiness to vibrancy.

It hurt too much to think properly. Was he even making sense to himself now? It hurt too much to think.

_Too much love will kill you  
It'll make your life a lie  
Yes, too much love will kill you  
And you won't understand why  
You'd give your life, you'd sell your soul  
But here it comes again  
Too much love will kill you  
In the end...  
In the end... _

Perhaps he could start over. A new life, a new place, or maybe he could just end this one and hope for another chance?

Even for this situation that was too melodramatic. Flopping from a sitting position to a lying down position he lay on the bed. Staring. Soon oblivion would claim him and he could rest. A least for a little while. Without them. Sweet rest.

* * *

**Post – story A/N:** Short and bitter, hope you enjoyed it. The film's only been on for about fifteen minutes, but again I really like this opening. It's different to _Disney_'s usual ones and is mainly watercolour pictures of the sea and storms, focussing on a message in a bottle overlaid with the white credits and set to evocative music. Some of it's quite choral and non – voiced. I think that's the correct term; there's no words, just sounds.

* * *


	16. Bijou

A/N: The time is exactly eight p.m. on the 20/08/09; welcome to my second songfic of the evening. This is one of _Queen_'s lesser known ballads. And by all the _gods_ and demons that exist it is so flippin' tearful. The first – _every_ single time I listen to this it fair breaks my heart. It's about three minutes, forty long and has precisely thirty – three words. And every single one of those words is imbued with so much feeling it's uncanny. The rest of it is guitar. At times it's high and sweet, others it's low and gentle. It's , I implore you, listen to this song. You can find it on YouTube, and I doubt anybody can do proper justice; so this is my attempt to create a fitting story for a relatively unknown gem of a song by one of the best and most varied bands of all time. Enjoy. And I truly do hope the song and story makes you emotional.

**Uploaded 23/08/09 (I've kept my original A/N's in tact for reasons unknown, yet probably humorous in nature. And what the heck, I'll load them all up today to apologise for my past drought and the upcoming one in the order written, hence the laborious times and dates in the A/N's)**

**Pairing:** Rin/Kohaku  
**Genre:** Romance/Fluff  
**Universe:** AU  
**Warnings:** None, but Kohaku may be a little OOC. I say it's because he's been best friends with the bubbly Rin for years.

**Word count:** 1 462

**Bijou**

"Hey! I like your hair. It's really pretty," said a boy playing by the swings.

" Thank you! Rin's Daddy always does her hair for her." She chirped happily, she loved it when she could tell people about how amazing her Daddy was.

The boy stood up and walked over to the trees. "I'm Kohaku."

"Rin." she chirped as she offered her toy to Kohaku. "Wanna play? Rin got it for her birthday yesterday. Rin is six now!"

"Me too!" So the tiny brown haired girl and the quiet boy sat in the cool shade under the warm afternoon sun playing.

***

Summer drifted into dopey autumn and two sixteen year olds lounged cat – like in the maple tree, relishing the burst of summer weather. "Mmmm, Kohaku, you know that dance thing in a month or two?" Kohaku, his hair now long enough to tie back in a short ponytail mumbled incoherently and snuggled into Rin's arms. Rin shook her head, brown eyes sparkling with laughter as she gave her best friend a noogie. "Kohaku!"

Kohaku bolted upright, hands going to his head and groaned. "You're evil incarnate. Waking me up like that, we don't have class for another hour you know."

"I was taking about that dance thingy."

"Oh? Who's been asking my shy little beauty out _this_ time? Am I going to have to scare someone else away?"

Rin snorted. "Yeah right. This tiny, puny little Rin is going to be defended by someone even _she_ can beat in an arm wrestle?"

"Hey, I only let you win that one time!" He twisted round, taking care not to fall off the sturdy branch, "If we weren't so high up I'd push you off. Then again, you'd get your gorgeous hair all tangled in the branches. You know, maybe next time you could bleach it to match your father's hair colour. It'd suit you." She paused, smiling and glanced up and down Rin's hip length hair. "It'd cost one _hell_ of a lot of money though."

His hands went to Rin's hair. "It's so pretty, I can't resist playing with it." he murmured as he began plaiting her hair. "But no, noone's asked me to the dance. I don't really want to go anyway."

"That's cool. I don't want to go either. I'd rather stay home, listen to music and watch movies – "

" - While devouring ice cream and mocking the poor acting!" she shouted gleefully, finishing off Kohaku's sentence. "You'd better be inviting Rin." She added threateningly, although her cheeky smile gave her away.

"Naturally my dear."

"Hey, want go get some munchies before class?"

"Definitely." They climbed down from the tree and walked to a café just off campus.

***

"Hey Rin! How's my college girl? Studying so far away from me and her family. It's snowing over there isn't it? Lucky thing. I'm mean, sure, I love my college and everything. But I miss you and home. It always snows at home too. And if you don't email me a picture of my snow angel I shall be very cross at you!"

She grinned as she ambled over to her Spanish class. "Not quite yet. It's meant to this evening, and you always get a picture of the first one of the year. A promise is a promise.

"At least you don't have to endure all this cold all the time. And the blizzards can be a pain. You end up walking two miles to go one mile!

"Now tell me about this mythical entity called The Sun again. I'm intrigued by it."

"Sun envy again? Well, you're coming down this time aren't you? My roommate's going home for Christmas so you won't have to pay anything this time 'round."

"Perfect!" She broke off suddenly to wave to a friend and say hi. "Oh no, I'm at my class. Say hi to your Mum and Dad for me! And to Sango, Miroku and their baby. Love you Kohaku!"

"I'll phone you again this evening love. Bye now!"

***

"I can't believe we've both graduated with full honours!"

"I'm just glad our graduation ceremonies are on different days so we can go seem each other." Smiling beatifically he hugged Rin and kissed her gently on the mouth. Kissed her in fact, for the first time, a tinge of nervousness tingling in the back of his mind. He pulled away and looked hopefully at her best friend and love. What if Rin didn't love him too?

Rin brought her delicate artists' hand to her lips and touched them reverently. "Love you too Kohaku." And she kissed Kohaku back.

_You and me we are destined you'll agree  
To spend the rest of our lives with each other  
The rest of our days like two lovers  
For ever  
Yeah  
For ever_

"How does it feel to be thirty two years old and have twins?" he took the baby girl to Rin as she picked up the boy. "It certainly took us long enough didn't it?"

"What should we call them? I've always liked Kanna for a girl."

"Souta for a boy?" And it was settled. Rin and Kohaku Taijya left the hospital the next day with their children and went home. Sesshoumaru, Kagura and the rest of their family came to welcome the new additions to the family. To new parents the only fault was that Kohaku's parents hadn't lived to see their grandchildren.

***

"Mamma!"

"Papa!"

"Aaaww."

***

When their children were fourteen Kohaku received a letter from Dr. K. Miko. Sickly pale he told his love and children the contents of the letter. "I have a tumour on my liver. It might be cancer. I'm having the operation in two weeks. They want to try to get it out intact." Body trembling he covered his face with his hands and choked out silent, terrified sobs. Fighting to keep a strong face Rin gathered her breaking love in her arms along with her scared children and told them everything would be fine. "I promise."

Kohaku died on the operating table.

Officially he was dead for four minutes.

When the attending surgeon, told Rin, Kanna and Souta what had happened in the operating theatre as Kohaku was being taking to the ICU it was as if their world had stopped. And turned itself upside down.

Yet their knees were trembling with relief.

When the biopsy results came back negative they went out for a meal as soon as Kohaku was released from hospital.

***

"Mamma, Papa, this is Akago. We've been going out for almost six months now." their bashful daughter said one day when she was twenty. "We take the same art classes at college." The ageing couple who had never lost their sense of humour leapt at the new chance to tease Kanna. "He looks handsome, if you don't like him, can I have him?"

Kanna blushed very slightly and Kohaku pounced immediately afterwards, "Kanna sweetie, it took you long enough. Souta's been dating Hojo for over a year now. But seriously love, we're so glad you're happy now."

"When's the wedding?"

Who knew people could blush that red?

***

At sixty their first grandchild was born. "She's so beautiful . . . " Souta and Hojo had adopted a year ago, but the little boy hadn't said his first word yet. "Any day now. Any day." The proud fathers would say.

***

"Mamma, Papa, Hojo's been in an accident. He's not going to get better Papa. He's dying Mamma! He's dying!" Souta was only thirty - five, Hojo was thirty – nine. And their little boy broke down in tears needing his mammas to hold him and make the pain go away.

The funeral was gut wrenchingly painful. And the little ones didn't know what was happening.

"Granny, where's Uncle Hojo?"

"Hojo, he's gone away dear heart. He's not going to come back." She took his tiny hand in her dry, tender one, "It's time to say goodbye."

Saying goodbye always hurt, but she had Kohaku with her to help dull the agony. Their children and grandchildren cried so much, the noise was haunting.

But the hurt faded eventually.

***

Rin and Kohaku went to bed one February night and whispered their tender goodnights to each other, the same as always. Their love was still as bright as it was when they were young and innocent.

_My bijou_

"Eighty - three years my beloved jewel. Eighty - three years since we met. Don't worry, I'll come home to you soon." And Kohaku, hair as silver as his father – in – law's was, bent his crystalline bones and placed Rin's doll – the one she'd cherished for so long – on the grave where his love now slept.

Forever goes beyond the grave.

* * *

**Post – story A/N:** I hope you liked my narrative choice for this story, and that you did listen to the song. One or two of my friends who know about my 'guilty pleasure' say the stories are better when listened to with the song.

_The Rescuers_ is still in the first half as I wrote this astonishingly quickly. It's only 20:47. Wow. I can type fast!

* * *


	17. We Are The Champions

A/N: 21:15 here, still the same day. Not really, all that much to say. Thanks to all my reviewers and readers be they past, present or future. I'd actually forgotten how much I liked _The Rescuers_, a little review of the film will follow this story.

In the words of the amazing Monty Python team: And now for something completely different! **Uploaded 23/08/09 (I've kept my original A/N's in tact for reasons unknown, yet probably humorous in nature. And what the heck, I'll load them all up today to apologise for my past drought and the upcoming one in the order written, hence the laborious times and dates in the A/N's)**

* * *

**Pairing:** *deep breath* Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kirara, Sesshoumaru, Rin, Kohaku  
**Genre:** Family/Friendship/Adventure  
**Universe:** Canon  
**Warnings:** Inuyasha has a mouth

**Word count:** 1 187

**We Are The Champions**

The corporeal body of Magutsuhi, incarnation of all that was tainted in the Shikon no Tama was destroyed. Now everyone had united and each was preparing for the assault on Naraku in their own way.

_I've paid my dues  
Time after time  
I've done my sentence  
But committed no crime  
And bad mistakes  
I've made a few  
I've had my share of sand kicked in my face  
But I've come through_

Now Kagome had woken from her coma – like stupor Inuyasha felt the need for solitude. His throat was swelling with relief now that Kagome was genuinely safe and he leapt for the Goshinboku. Once his throat was cleared of that pressing feeling he spieled his memory back to the first.

For love he would've given up his heritage. One of only two things he knew came from his dad. For love and nothing else Naraku had cost him fifty years! Fifty years he would never get back. Naraku had cost him his first love! Naraku needed to die. However, in a perverse way, it was entirely because of that filthy bastard he'd met Kagome and all his friends. His memory caught up to the present, his head and heart full of determination and the desire to protect he turned his thoughts towards removing Naraku from the world. He and his friends would do it with ease. They were a team and a family; but it was best to plan.

Sango hovered uneasily over her brother's body as Kagome tried to purify him of Magatsuhi's pollution. They'd been through so much. Kohaku was such a gentle little boy, and then for his life to be taken on his first job! And to always be persecuted by the guilt of having murdered his father and the men of their village.

And all because of the potential threat less than one hundred fully trained taijya could pose.

Sometimes she still had nightmares of the screaming pain as his kurusagi – gama bore into her back and of waking up, feeling smothered. The bodies of her family lay upon her and she was so scared! If Naraku were to die she would be free of the worst of the terror. The faces of her village pleading for vengeance would fade and the guilt would be appeased. Sango knew she was stronger now, in mind and body. She had a man she loved, a new sister and so many friends she put her hard gained trust in.

Miroku was getting water from the river when he slipped and dipped his cursed hand into the water. Cursing he wiped it as dry as he could before he stilled. If he held his hand up to his ear he could hear the faint whine of the kazaana eroding his body. It wouldn't take him as it had taken his father and grandfather! It wouldn't! They were so close to getting rid of the jewel that he allowed himself to daydream more and more often about his future with his beloved Sango.

"Just let everything go well tomorrow. Let Inuyasha be able to kill Naraku." He prated aloud.

_We are the champions my friends  
And we'll keep on fighting till the end  
We are the champions  
We are the champions  
No time for losers  
'Cause we are the champions of the world_

Kagome was horribly frustrated. The taint was still there! "Maybe it has to do with Magatsuhi . . . " She pondered out loud as Rin and Sango looked on. It was the only explanation for the weakness of her powers, her head felt so muzzy she could hardly concentrate. At Sango's worried look she hastened to add, "Everything will be alright. Sesshoumaru's gone to kill Magatsuhi and what he wants dead will die. I have faith in him and in everyone else." She gave her brightest smile and went back to trying to purify Kohaku.

_I've taken my bows  
And my curtain calls  
You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it_  
_I thank you all_  
_But it's been no bed of roses  
No pleasure cruise_  
_I consider it a challenge before the whole human race  
And I ain't gonna lose_

Sesshoumaru followed the wisp of Magatsuhi's scent absentmindedly with his mind on other things. He had his arm back. Tensing the muscles slowly he was pleased to note there wasn't any atrophy or weakness. Even his wrist markings were quickly fading back into prominence on his pale skin.

It was . . . fitting that he should be able to punish the ones who had insulted him so grievously now he was at his fullest strength. And Magatsuhi was an interesting opponent. To think that wretch would try to harm those under his protection and then try to kill him! Noone was stronger than he. He would see the end of that unnatural hanyou and the spirit creature for their impertinence.

At least they had posed a mildly diverting puzzle for the past few seasons. Occasionally there'd even been moments of actual danger. Really, it was foolish to think they could harm him or his in any way. And then there was Rin . . . she would not be put in harm's way again.

_We are the champions my friends  
And we'll keep on fighting till the end  
We are the champions  
We are the champions  
No time for losers  
'Cause we are the champions of the world_

Rin felt stifled by the closeness of the hut walls and she slipped out to pick some flowers for Kohaku – kun. Humans always made her a little nervous, especially when Sesshoumaru – sama, Jaken – sama and Ah – Un weren't there to keep her safe.

Kohaku – kun was nice though, so were the others here. And they were all very strong! Rin just knew that Sesshoumaru – sama and his brother and all his friends were strong enough to kill the bad person who had tried to hurt everyone.

It occurred to her that they'd all been looking for the bad man when her Sesshoumaru – sama found Rin, but if Sesshoumaru – sama and his friends said he should be killed then she believed him. Kohaku – kun had had so many bad nightmares . . .

She saw Shippou – chan and Kirara sitting quietly by the bridge and she went and sat by them for a while. Thinking Shippou – chan looked very upset she gave him the flowers instead and said, "Shippou – chan, you don't have to worry. You really trust Inuyasha – sama and Kagome – sama don't you?" He nodded and she continued, "They're really strong aren't they? So are Miroku – sama and Sango – sama, yes?"

"Of course they are! And Kirara and me'll help too! Nothing can beat us!"

"Then stop looking sad Shippou – chan, because if you are then Rin feels sad too. And Rin doesn't like to feel sad. They'll win, especially now Sesshoumaru – sama's helping."

Two disparate groups made out of ragtag people forced together due to circumstances had bonded in ways unanticipated and they none of them believed they would fail. How could they? They were the best.

* * *

**Post – story A/N:** Thoughts on the film. Oh my, what terrible animation at points. You can actually pick out the layers of animation and the outlines are just shoddy. It's quite uneven because at points you have the typical superb _Disney_ hand drawn animation, and at others it's just sub par. Some inconsistency in animation from cell to cell is found; and Bambi makes a cameo with his mother around about the fifty one minute mark.

It's a good film, very enjoyable, but the animation and admittedly, some of the songs could use a lot of work. Madame Medusa isn't really all that scary a villain either; and while I do like the Bumpkin Squad with their moonshine and oddities, they take too much interest away from the main characters. I like Penny, she's very tough; but is too obsessed with how she looks. I thought she was quite a pretty girl myself. Miss Bianca's just a damsel in distress and bland. Bernard's about the same, but you can see him mature through the story.

The climax wasn't much, and the action is well, almost non – existent. I far prefer the sequel _Rescuers Down Under_ as the animation is wonderful, as is the action and plot.


	18. Scandal

A/N: _Peter Pan_ now. I've read and loved the book too. The time is 22:43 on 20/08/09. I think this'll be the last story of the night. I'm knackered. By the way, this marks the tenth _Queen Collection_ story I've written while on my enforced hiatus. I've also done two chapters of Spritz and I have just over 13 000 words of my secret story done. I _may_ be able to post a few _Queen Collection_ chapters tomorrow or Saturday, but I'll save the rest. But as far as my _Queen Collection_ goes, including my as yet unpublished ten stories I have 46 pages of size ten font.

**Uploaded 23/08/09 (I've kept my original A/N's in tact for reasons unknown, yet probably humorous in nature. And what the heck, I'll load them all up today to apologise for my past drought and the upcoming one in the order written, hence the laborious times and dates in the A/N's)**

**Pairing:** Kagome/Inuyasha  
**Genre:** Angst/Romance/Heartbreak/Betrayal  
**Universe:** AU  
**Warnings:** None

**Word count:** 1 190

**Scandal**

You.

Three short years I knew you, honoured you, loved you, cherished you, _adored_ you and held you close in my embrace, wanting and needing nothing but you. Such passion as I felt for you can come only once in one hundred and more years.

I don't know which one of us was wrong, if _any_thing was actually wrong. Did I not love you enough? Did you bore of me, seeking solace in another's warm and welcoming arms?

The shortest words are the most haunting are they not?

"Why?

Don't you love me any more?"

"No. I don't."

And you walked out the door and vanished into the seething river of humanity. But a delicate one like you my love, how can you survive the broiling currents and the dangerous undertows?

_Scandal - now you've left me all the world's gonna know  
Scandal - they're gonna turn our lives into a freak show  
They'll see the heartache, they'll see the love break  
They'll hear me pleading, We'll say for God's sake  
Over and over and over again_

Was it worth it? Leaving. Who is your paramour? A man? Woman? I care not.

"Please come back!"

'_I need you._'

"I can't. You're not right for me. I'm not right for you." More short words stabbing into my breast and twisting. Barbed arrows sent by Cupid's nemesis buried too deep to be dug out.

"_Why_?"  
'_Protect me. Let me protect you. Why? Why? Why? Why can't you answer me?_'

The insidious gossips and tale spinners natter behind closed doors on phones and on the greatest rumour mill of all time: the internet. You've gone and now they will look at me (you are safe in your new haven. Your new lover, I have noone now) and sneer and smile out of falsely sympathetic eyes.  
Looking at us, enjoying the shows we put on for them. Our life a mere soap opera – a stage performance – to their dulled eyes and hating minds.

I wear my heart on my face. An open countenance showing my disintegrating heart. Me begging. You implacable and as silent as a priest after confessional.

"For – "

" – God's - "

" – sake!" we scream at each other.

I can't take your silence, your adamant need to leave. You won't even let us talk it out.

You can't take me. Not my pleading, not my heartache. Perhaps you don't want me to hurt more?

But again and again, day after day, we fought, we fight, you just walk out of my life. Slowly. I wish I knew why. Is it slow to make me hurt more? Is it slow because you can't bear to leave?

Each day you tarry you multiply my hurt. Each day I cling to you in any way I can. Each day our actions and non – actions breed more rumours and lies and truths.

_Scandal - now you've left me there's no healing the wounds  
Hey scandal - and all the world can make us out to be fools  
Here come the bad news, open the flood gates  
They'll leave us bleeding, we'll say you cheapskates  
Over and over and over again_

Words are final. Perhaps your heart had left long ago, I don't know, but you left absolutely the day you send the words. Wounding us both. Bleeding hearts right? They still talk about us you know. They call us fools, lovelorn idiots and worse. Things that make me blush even thinking of them. You always said I was naïve though. 'Course you'd tease me about it, laughing and smiling while your eyes glowed with love. I'd blush at the mildest innuendo. Still do. Not for all your attempts to make me even slightly worldly.

I'm sick of bleeding. And the rivers flood and burst their banks with malice; I don't think they mean to hurt us – no, me – like this. But again and again their sidelong glances and half – hidden smiles mock us. Our love. They'd always say we'd never last. Or that it was wrong.

It wasn't was it? I don't know any more. It must be, it never felt wrong. But if it was so right, so, so, _so_ right; why did you leave?

They cheapen us. The debasement burns in ways your departure never could. Oh, I want you, and I want your happiness. You could come back. If not, if not . . . I suppose I could live. As long as you aren't hurt.

_So let them know when they stare it's just a private affair  
They'll have us hung in the air and tell me what do they care  
It's only a life to be twisted and broken  
They'll see the heartache, they'll see our love break - yeah  
They'll hear me pleading, I'll say for God's sake  
Over and over and over and over again_

You left. I begged.

"For God's sake, please, please don't go. Don't leave me. God . . . don't. Please." Everything all out in the open. Our stained and torn laundry on display for the viewers to dissect dispassionately the next day.

After all, it's only to be expected.

That's what they said. The dire predictions I thought we'd defied.

I dream of you walking down our pathway. The skirt I'd bought you for your birthday being teased by the wind as you carried your last box of trinkets away.

"No, please. Just let it be a dream."

It isn't.

_Scandal  
Scandal yes you're breaking my heart again  
Scandal yes you're loving on out again_

My heart hurts.

_Today the headlines tomorrow hard times  
And no-one ever really knows the truth from the lies  
And in the end the story deeper must hide  
Deeper and deeper and deeper inside_

I walk down the road every day, holding my head up high; ignoring the whispers that spread out behind me like the wake of a boat. So quiet. Headline maker every day. Two loves have left me now.

A day or so ago someone told me that it was all my fault. That they had proof that I slept with anyone who'd pay me.

I could barely breathe. I have always been faithful to my lovers. I'm known for it. Then this filthy black mire rises out of nowhere and traps me in lies.

I hope you refuse to listen to theses, if ever you hear whisper of them. By the time they reach you they'll have been blown even further out of proportion and far, far beyond the shadow of truth.

The true story, noone believes it.

It hurts that one or both of us is the villain in every story. And that one interpretation will inevitably be wrong.

_Scandal, scandal  
Scandal, scandal_

Every day I want to cry. You took my smile away and left me defenceless in the face of scandal. I won't cry though, two times I've cried before now: when I lost my mother and father; and when I thought you'd nearly died from food poisoning. And then I cried when you left. I won't cry any more.

I don't even resent you for it.

I never could.

* * *

**Post – story A/N:** I confess, I actually adapted this story from a previous one, so about half of it is 'new' material. It all is really, but that half is especially tailored to this pairing rather than the previous one.

_Peter Pan_ is another children's story that I think _Disney_ was perfectly suited to. Peter Pan and Never Land are pretty much childhood and imagination. Yes, again there's the problem with adapting some two hundred pages of book into *checks the back* seventy – four minutes of film and they did well. It would have been lovely if they kept the original version of Peter's Attempted Murder (poison) and showed Tinkerbell's reaction and death more sensitively. The bomb, while not as dark, just demeaned Tinkerbell's sacrifice somehow. And by not showing her to be _actually_ dead it detracts from her heroic sacrifice (even if she is a bit of a jealous woman); yes, yes, how could they have the children (and adults) clapping to resurrect her, but it removes the _faith_ and power of imagination.

I hate Wendy. Mr. Darling, though of an extremely choleric temperament, is a vivid character and I like him, Nana and Mrs. Darling. The boys are so – so. Not really exciting anything much in me apart from annoying. Peter's an arrogant, stuck – up little boy who needs a good kicking – I love him! And Captain Hook is a _darling_; an effete darling, but dashing and exciting all the same. More menacing in the book though. And Tiger Lily rocks, as does Tick Tock the Crocodile.

* * *


	19. Seaside Rendezvous

**A/N:** 22/08/09: Saw _Snow White_ last night while taking a break from writing for a night. I was all set to praise and condemn. But I can't!

_Snow White_ is a literal milestone in cinema – an epoch! – and to mock it or apply logic to it is unfair. The biggest problem I have with it is that Snow White's singing voice is too 'trilly' and that her hair looks strange around the edges. I read somewhere that it was because Snow White was rotoscoped that she's a fairly forgettable figure. Oh, and she looks about twelve at the most, while Prince Charming looks eighteen or so. . .

Just consider the work put into this film! It was put into production in 1934. Look at a _Disney_ short from then, see the art, the human figures? _Snow White_ was released three years later to a _very_ cynical premiere audience and the art is just superb! The music, story, dialogue and the _art_ was so impressive and absorbing that the whole audience was sobbing and gave the ending a standing ovation. For an eighty minute cartoon film. The advancement of the art alone is phenomenal, more like twenty – five years rather than three.

When was the last time you watched _Snow White_? It's one of the biggest films ever – be it revolutionary, money – making or popular – and yet nothing much really happens. The story's in the first ten, fifteen minutes and the last fifteen. And everything works. By Offler! You can't really mock this story/apply logic to it because it's such a key part of childhood. I remember there was a point in my life where I watched every _Disney_ film we possessed every other month. _Snow White_ genuinely terrified me, and you know what? It's still scary.

**Uploaded 23/08/09 (I've kept my original A/N's in tact for reasons unknown, yet probably humorous in nature. And what the heck, I'll load them all up today to apologise for my past drought and the upcoming one in the order written, hence the laborious times and dates in the A/N's)****Pairing:** Jakotsu/Jakotsu  
**Genre:** Fluff/Romance  
**Universe:** AU  
**Warnings:** You see the pairing right?

* * *

**Word count:** 1 074

**Seaside Rendezvous**

It was a classic seaside resort. Think Olde Worlde Englande. A promenade, small fairground, those wonderful little open topped double decker buses. It was Brighton, but with American touches.

And Bankotsu was _bored_. What kind of eighteen year old went on holiday to this kind of place? One with no life. Still, outside was better than in, so he meandered his way down the boardwalk, stumbling and cursing over the loose slats.

At least the view was good. Spectacular in fact, the old wooden pier towering crookedly over the breakers that could gentle enough to rock a newborn to sleep, or vicious enough to dash a body to pieces against the riprap armour protecting the foolish bungalows crouching to close to the sea. It was startling how blue, green, grey, purple and even yellow the sea could be all at once; kind of like a very limited rainbow, he mused to himself.

Even though the road was as barren as his previous love life he looked around shiftily as he said, "Well, at least there's _him_ too." His only friend here, a fellow eighteen year old starting college in the fall by the name of Jakotsu Shintachi. By some stroke of coincidence they were even going to be going to the same college when term started.

"Hey Bankotsu. Escaped the tedious injustices of your family once more?"

"Easy as pie. Where're off to today? The cliffs?" He nodded, and off they set. Ambling easily alongside each other.

_Seaside whenever you stroll along with me  
I'm merely contemplating what you feel inside  
Meanwhile I ask you to be my Clementine  
You say you will if you could but you can't  
I love you madly  
Let my imagination run away with you gladly  
A brand new angle highly commendable  
Seaside rendezvous _

Naturally, there was a problem. He _really_ liked Jakotsu. A lot. So today, he was resolved. Today, he would be courageous. Today, he would ask Jakotsu the question.

Just . . . not yet.

Vainly, he sought to distract himself by looking at the jawdroppingly stunning views, or anything apart from the marvel that was Jakotsu. So Jakotsu. With his long black hair (he'd gotten _so_ grounded by his mum afterwards, but Jakotsu said getting those extensions was completely worth it even if it had cost him a lot of money) and winning, toothy smile. And the way he walked was magnificent, shoulders swaying back and forth just obviously enough to draw eyes, but he never seemed aware of it.

But he must know. Enough girls and even a few men had ogled him. Mesmerising. He was a sucker for a good walk.

He was staring.

Bad Bankotsu! Bad!

Better pop the question. He cleared his throat slightly and asked, "Jakotsu, would you like to go out with me? Tonight. For dinner?" He was on tenterhooks, would Jakotsu mind that he was gay and wanted to date him? Would he ditch him just because of his sexuality? Please, gods, let it not be that.

"Oh, Bankotsu, I would if I could, but I can't." Damn.

Just perfect. The one person he actually _wanted_ to date, and he wasn't interested like that. Next Jakotsu would start to avoid him and look at him strangely. He was so sunk into self – pity that he almost didn't catch what he said next. "Is tomorrow night okay? It's just that I've got to go visit my aunt."

Dumbfounded, he stammered and affirmative and when he returned later that afternoon he was ecstatic.

_I feel so romantic can we do it again?  
Can we do it again sometime? I'd like that  
Fantastic _c'est la vie madame et monsieur

After their first date he was pleased with how it had gone. It was sweetly clichéd. A small table, but well placed so they could have a good view. No candles, however the restaurant knew enough about its clientele to provide dim lighting anyway; and the bill was split fifty fifty.

"Can we do this again sometime soon?" he'd asked as he bade him goodbye at his rented cottage gate. He was reasonably confident of his saying yes as Jakotsu's eyes had been fair dancing in pleasure all night. But he couldn't be certain until he'd heard his calm reply of "I'd like that."

_I feel like dancing in the rain  
Can I have a volunteer?  
Just keep right on dancing  
What a damn jolly good idea  
It's such a jollification as a matter of fact  
So _très charmant_ my dear_

Sadly, the weather was appalling on the day they'd set for their second date. They were supposed to go to the beach, but the dull, driving rain put shot his hopes down. As he reached for his mobile to phone Jakotsu to try to reschedule their date when a perky knock at the door summoned him.

"Hey m'dear. Fancy coming out?"

"It's raining." he stated bluntly.

"I feel like dancing in the rain, care to be my partner Mr. Nanashi?" he sketched a ramshackle bow and grinned whimsically. "Besides, it's a warm rain. I'd say pretend it's a shower, but I'd rather not have either of us visualise that." Jakotsu blushed a pale pink, he never knew he had this side to him. Dryly he murmured "Charming." Before Bankotsu caught on to his mood and flourished a bow, taking his hand and kissing it before putting on his best plummy British accent. "Mr. Shintachi, I would be honoured to be permitted to dance with such a rare person as you. Shall we?" As the silver rain imprisoned the ignorant inside, two carefree teenagers danced happily under the pavilion on the promenade.

_Underneath the moonlight  
Together we'll sail across the sea  
Reminiscing every night  
Meantime I ask you to be my Valentine  
You say you'd have to tell your daddy if you can  
I'll be your Valentino_

Moonlight gilded everything and the sea was calm molten silver on their last night at the resort. A time for memories. And perhaps, for the future too. A summer romance, could it last longer? He was sure it would. "This summer's been amazing because of you."

"Yes, I've had so much fun, and I'm glad we met."

"Do you also want to continue our relationship?"

"You're wonderful; sweet; chivalrous and funny. I'd be mad to dump you."

"So it's a yes then."

"_Give us a kiss!_"

It most certainly was. And the kiss was _sublime_.


	20. In The Lap Of The Gods

A/N: 22/08/09, 19:30. Good news! I'll be able to access the internet tonight! This means I have a quandary; In The Lap Of The Gods will be my twelfth _Queen Collection_ chapter written during my forced one week hiatus. Do I upload them all at once to cover my next week of absence? Or just one? Actually, the last's no problem, there's a set order for these chapters to go up in thanks to my A/N's. **Uploaded 23/08/09 (I've kept my original A/N's in tact for reasons unknown, yet probably humorous in nature. And what the heck, I'll load them all up today to apologise for my past drought and the upcoming one in the order written, hence the laborious times and dates in the A/N's)**

* * *

**Pairing:** Sesshoumaru/Kagura  
**Genre:** Romance/Irony  
**Universe:** Canon, set about twenty or so chapters before _Wind_.  
**Warnings:** None

**Word count:** 699

**In The Lap Of The Gods**

_I live my life for you  
Think all my thoughts with you and only you_

They sat side by side, a little awkwardly with a few feet of space separating their bodies. It was a wide tree trunk and the two who reclined against the venerable tree sat with rigid muscles, one shifting with obvious discomfort, the other staring up at the night sky, perhaps wishing the other wasn't there so they could each be alone with their thoughts. One was there by choice, the other had sought her out after seeing her land.

If only they knew how the other felt. Then, maybe they would act differently.

He thought of her.

Her sarcastic mouth, strong features and her elegant methods of dispensing death. The way she smiled and, depending on her mood it was as sweet as ambrosia or as chilling as the frigid winds that they could both fly in their own ways.

He treasured her compassion, how she seemed to care for Kohaku and even his idiot brother's group. That she cared for him and truly respected him, even if she seldom spoke as if she did.

He loved her, but did not want to say it.

_Anything you ask I do for you  
I touch your lips with mine  
_  
She thought of him.

His rare smirk that foretold death, destruction and pain and the gleam in the gold eyes that shone brightly beneath his too –long fringe. His intelligence that seemed to pierce straight through every illusion and to the heart of Naraku's latest ploy. She _loved_ that she could actually elicit a response from the taciturn youkai time after time. She those oh so fleeting and hidden moments that showed he cared for another: usually her or Rin. She even liked his aloof arrogance and habitual silence. It made getting an emotion or answer from him all the better.

Once, when she'd been in trouble Sesshoumaru had helped her. Probably unwillingly because he didn't really love her, and there were witnesses. He had been sitting in profile to her when she'd woken up and the light had hit his mouth so generously. It had been so hard to think of anything but how soft those lips looked. Wondering whether they would be gentle and slow, or strong and demanding in passion.

She loved him, but feared rejection.

She edged closer to him. She wished she could kiss him, but feared the result. Feared more the rejection than the probable result of death.

_But in the end I leave it to the lords  
Leave it in the lap of the gods  
What more can I do?  
_  
Perhaps it was best to leave these things to Fate?

But their hips were touching, and the pregnant silence was all but begging to be broken.

She broke it. "Nice view."

The things unsaid were broadcast so loudly, so clearly, it was a wonder the spying child down below didn't catch on.

_- Beautiful._  
_  
- Just like you.  
_  
"Shame about the clouds though."

"The rains are coming."

_- There's always something in the way._

_- The Gods think they can toy with our lives. Maybe they should.  
_  
The silence strangled them and left them sitting isolated from the other once more.

_Leave it in the lap of the gods  
I leave it to you  
Leave it in the lap of the gods  
Leave it in the lap of the gods  
_  
Then again. Gods are very fickle, and youkai are seldom looked upon in favour by the Gods or any other being. Maybe they should chance it? After all, one was impossibly strong, and the other wanted an impossibility.

_I want you to  
Leave it in the lap of the gods  
_  
"I'm leaving soon." Kagura stood and shook the grass from her kimono before turning to look at the sunset. "When I am free we should talk more. There's something I'd like to say."

"As does this Sesshoumaru."

Perfect. Kagura took to the slight zephyr and flew slowly back to her imprisonment, buoyed by the twin hopes of getting that kid free and of earning her own liberty. "And then Sesshoumaru . . . "


	21. The Invisible Man

**A/N: **Almost eleven p.m. now, still the same day as In The Lap Of The Gods; I believe I'll be watching _Sleeping Beauty_ tonight. Interesting titbit though: did you know that all the art was inspired by medieval tapestries, paintings and buildings, hence the stylisation and vertical or horizontal planes of foliage; and that every bush or plant you see took seven to ten days to paint. Why? Because there are roughly four layers of leaves painted on each one. This means you can genuinely pick out most of the leaves.

True dedication to style. _Continuous_, appropriate style.

* * *

**Pairing:** Naraku/Kikyou  
**Genre:** Horror/Romance/Creepy  
**Universe:** AU  
**Warnings:** Obsessive, disturbing behaviour

**Word count:** 2 174

**The Invisible Man**

_I'm the invisible man I'm the invisible man  
Incredible how you can see right through me_

She was the elder cousin to one of the girl's in his class at school. At first he'd thought the classmate was stunning; but oh, when she met her cousin one day after class – some kind of minor family emergency or something – he knew that he had seen true perfection in the form of Kikyou Higurashi.

She walked with such grace, spoke with such soft dignity he felt compelled to follow them. Compared to Kikyou Kagome was but a crude draft sketch, full of imperfections and flaws – she was dating that Inuyasha Taishou for a start!

He followed them all evening, walking past them sometimes so he could look anew upon the passively worried Kikyou with her wondrous soft eyes and firm look. There was a woman who could handle everything. Naraku thought at first that they would go to the hospital to drop off the second – rate girl, or perhaps to Kagome's home; so he was more than pleasantly surprised when he heard Kagome say, "Kikyou, why are we going to your house? Shouldn't we be going home?"

"Measles is infectious and Auntie and Grandpapa have already had it, you haven't even had your vaccination so you're staying with me for a few weeks."

"Oh." Kagome said looking crestfallen, "So I can't see Mama, Souta or Granddad? But I'm going to miss them so much."

"You may speak to them daily on the phone." Said Kikyou gently, "And I think little Kaede would enjoy your company."

"Ah! She's about five now isn't she?" A child? And so young, Kagome was only fifteen, and her dazzling cousin looked now more than twenty – two or three. The brat would be a problem, how could he properly worship such a pure goddess with a sprog around. It was a shame Kikyou was defiled by the touch of another man, but it was of no consequence.

Kikyou would be his, and she would adore him. She didn't even register him in any way yet, but he would be recognised for all his glorious worth and she would belong to him! It was Fate! Why else would she have come to him if they weren't meant to be together?

_When you hear a sound that you just can't place  
Feel somethin' move that you just can't trace  
When something sits on the end of your bed  
Don't turn around when you hear me tread_

Two months of learning her every haunt, her every action soon resulted in the perfect opportunity to proclaim his adoration. "Nee – sama, can I go to Rin's house for a sleepover? She's going away with Uncle Sesshoumaru and Auntie Kagura because of work. She's going to be gone for two weeks! I'm going to miss her so much, so they said we could have a goodbye sleepover. _Please_?"

"What have I told you about calling Sesshoumaru and Kagura Uncle and Auntie? They're just very good friends of mine."

"Auntie Kagura said I could." Kikyou's little sister said. Naraku had been so pleased to realise Kaede wasn't his perfect jewel's child. It meant that she was truly pure. It made it all the more gratifying when he realised he would be the one to claim her purity; it would be so tender and sweet to hear her gasp and moan. She would love it almost as much as he could.

From Kikyou's set of the shoulders – one raised in a shrug – he knew that she would give in. He even knew exactly where she picked up that particular idiosyncrasy. The man, Sesshoumaru. She had been so affectionate with him when he came to visit with his daughter just a week ago that it made his blood boil with incandescent fury. She liked another man! It had barely calmed only when that slut – woman Kagura came and revealed that she was Sesshoumaru's wife.

But it wasn't right that anyone else should be affectionate with his woman! Noone! Not her broken cousin, not her friends, not her sister! Noone! He would have to explain to her tonight why it was best to cut off contact with everyone apart from him. And if she tried to defy him, as much as it would pain him to hurt her, he just couldn't bear the idea of sharing her with anyone.

So when the little bitch went to the sleepover he waited outside heaven. Kikyou was alone, and it was getting darker, she'd drawn the curtains some while ago and her could only see the brief tantalising shadow as she went about her nightly routine. It was a Friday so at nine o' clock she'd sit in the front room and watch a movie with the bitch. But the bitch was at the home of the would – be cuckold's with his slut and their brazen little daughter. Naraku knew that if that other man were here he'd already be in the house trailing those hands over Kikyou's precious form.

If he didn't tell her tonight how much she loved him Kikyou would be lost forever! Taken away from the man who truly deserved her most. Towards midnight, with only the bright glare of the TV illuminating the front room he crept stealthily up to the window and stared through the net curtain. There she was, relaxing on the floor leaning her back up against the sofa. "Mmmmm, gorgeous." Her body had a delicious curve to it that made him want her all the more. That pale skin made her an artist's dream, and made her so untouchably ethereal next to her mass of dark hair. How he wanted to run his fingers through that hair, it would be like spider silk. Unbelievably soft. All unthinking he raised his hand to the glass and pretended to stroke his darling's hair; the faint squeak had Kikyou tilt her head in wonderment, before dismissing it and returning to her film.

_"Hah hah hah hello."_

_"Who's there?" she said, face turning towards the slim form pressed up against the window. He was tapping on her window, beckoning her over to him and gazing at her with wanting eyes._

_"Hah hah hah OK."_

"Who are you?"

_"Hah hah hah hello hello hello hello." _ The lank haired man motioned her over with more fervour and he pressed even deeper into the glass that Kikyou now saw as a precious barrier saving her from a demon.

"What are you doing?! Leave! I'll call the police." Standing up she walked warily to the phone and dialled the police, all the while keeping her eyes on the disturbing picture of a teenaged boy making gestures at her through her window and mouthing words at her. "Tokyo Police, Detective Sango speaking."

"Hello, there's someone at my house. I think he's a stalker or something, he's standing right in front of my window telling laughing and waving at me. Please, send someone over!" Her hushed voice rose to even higher pitches as the terror of her situation overwhelmed her. "He's looking right at me and smiling! He knows I've called someone but he's still standing there; I'm too afraid to look away from him. Please!"

"Miss, we need your address. Tell me your address and I'll send someone right over. I'll stay on the phone with you in case he tries to do something else. Can you tell me your address Miss?" Kikyou drew strength from the detective's calm voice and said the address calmly and clearly so there'd be no mistakes made. "Thank you Miss, someone'll be over directly."

It was a horrible ten minutes before the sight of a police car coming down the street sent the teenage boy running past her house and into her back garden, where a harsh crash told her that the stalker had climbed over her fence and knocked the bin over on his way out. She almost sobbed in relief when she let a young man in uniform –Officer Miroku – into her house and told him what had happened.

"Miss Miyosaki, in light of all this, I suggest that at least for a few nights you stay with your family, or maybe a friend. You think you've seen him before?"

"Yes, once or twice, but I thought he was just any other child. I mean – " She didn't know what to say, a child like that? "He couldn't have been more than a few years older than my cousin, and she's only fifteen."

"Yes Miss Miyoksaki, it's terrible how young people can be when they commit crimes. You _do_ have somewhere to stay for a while don't you? And if you think you see him again, phone immediately."

"My parents are out of the country, and my nearest relatives have left town because my cousin's recovering from an illness. But my friends live nearby, I'll just go pack."

"I'll give you a lift Miss."

It was a tired Kagura who answered the door shortly after one in the morning, holding her dressing gown tightly around her as Sesshoumaru walked down the stairs. "Kikyou?" She yawned, followed by a startled, "Kikyou! Is something wrong?" Kagura was fully awake now and joined by her husband.

"Mr. Taishou, Mrs. Taishou, my I come in for a moment?" asked the officer. They stood aside and showed them into the living room before Sesshoumaru went to make everyone some tea. The situation explained, Kikyou's two friends were more than willing to let her and Kaede stay with them "As long as you need Kikyou. We'll be here to help."

_Now I'm on your track and I'm in your mind  
And I'm on your back but don't look behind  
I'm your meanest thought I'm your darkest fear  
But I'll never get caught, you can't shake me, shake me dear_

For the next few days Kikyou felt a little safer, and then she went back home with her sister. "I wouldn't want you to delay your business just because of me. Perhaps he'll have left off now." She was as reluctant to leave her haven as they were reluctant to leave for their business trip. "I promise I'll be fine, and if I think something's going on I'll go straight to your father's, okay Sesshoumaru?" He and Kagura certainly weren't, but there was nothing else she could do.

Kikyou didn't really keep her promise. It was almost as if her stalker knew the instant she came home. She felt watched all the time, and a simple trip to the shop had her glancing over her shoulder every other minute and flinching at shadows. When the first note came: '_Oh, how I love you my darling jewel. I'm always with you, please, get rid of those who want to hurt you and keep us apart! Your sister, your friends, they hate me and want me gone. I'm afraid that I may have to fight back. You can't want them to keep us apart. Show your devotion to me beloved and discard the offal that clings to you. YOU ARE MINE AND ONLY MINE!!_' she sent Kaede away. She wasn't going to have her sister hurt.

The police started to keep a constant watch on her house and work, but they never saw him.

And during those days Kikyou became increasingly paranoid, hardly daring to sleep or be alone in those terror filled, angry days. He never left her thoughts; he would be caught. That was her hope, he would follow her everywhere. He's said so. But until then she, the innocent one in all this, would suffer the unending torments of paranoia and distrust. He could be anywhere. Watching her. Listening. Pawing through her rubbish and stealing her clothing from the line.

One night, more restless than ever shed gone to get a drink and saw an unmoving shadow in her back garden. A statue that made her faint with disgust and horror. "Why?" she groaned out as she slid down to the floor. "Why, why, why, why, _why_?"

_I'm the invisible man I'm the invisible man  
Incredible how you can see right through me  
Watch me  
I'm the invisible man I'm the invisible man  
It's criminal how I can see right through you  
Look at me look at me_

In her daze she didn't see how the statue unfroze and walked cautiously to the kitchen door. She didn't see how the statue, now revealed to be a young teenage boy reach into a pocket and withdraw a key. A key which he inserted into the lock.

She didn't hear the lock snick open over her anguished monologue.

Hands touched her shoulders as Naraku knelt down next to her and turned her to face him. Now she was frozen, mind caught in an endless horrifying loop and body paralysed. "My darling jewel, look at me, look at me." A warm hand caught her chin and forced it up and she, for the first time gazed into the eyes of Naraku. "Look at me." He whispered.

* * *

**Post – story A/N:** They say every fanfic author has a high school story in them somewhere; this is mine. Well, it's peripherally a high school story. I feel really sorry for Kikyou now. I hope that was creepily horrifying for my readers. I feel dirty after writing that now, but who wouldn't after a distressing stalker story?

I'm so glad I can talk about _Sleeping Beauty_ now. Ummm, by all the Gods, I love Maleficent! The art, the music (all the music is delightful), the action. The climax of the story is powerful and scary. How many evil faeries suddenly metamorphose into evil dragons after declaiming, "And now O Prince, you face me, _and all the powers of HELL!!_" and petrify the little child within in such a dark and dramatic way? Only Maleficent. One of the best villains ever.

How is it that the film is supposedly about Aurora and Prince Phillip; yet it's blatantly got three good faeries as the (pretty cool) protagonists? Don't believe anything else. The faeries free Phillip from the prison, engineer his escape, show him the way to the castle and enchant his sword with what is essentially a homing device to kill Dragon Maleficent. And they're three middle – aged single women. Yes, they have magic powers, but it's openly stated and pretty obvious that Maleficent is by far the most powerful. Awesome.

Oh, and one artistic thing of merit. You know after Aurora pricks her finger and is hidden by Maleficent's gorgeous cloak/dress and is then revealed? Note how she's shifted from the vibrant and more noticeable foreground animated character into mere background, she's part of the set now. The colours lose their vibrancy and she's faded. That has always been one of the best moments of the film for me.

And her gloating in the prison! _Pure irony_. Pure and vicious irony. And her 'one hundred years' spiel. The original story has a one hundred gap between her sleeping and the kiss. Maleficent is vicious, intelligent, mean and spiteful. I love her!


	22. Father To Son

**A/N: **It's the 23/08/09 here, 21:59 GMT and I'm off writing once more. Tonight's films are _The Lion King_ and _Beauty And The Beast_. But first, after uploading twelve chapters . . . in the very early hours of this morning I was left with the mostly finished _The Invisible Man_ and a whopping twenty nine other songs in my Pending file. _Invisible_ is now finished (obviously, as you've just read it :P), so let the countdown begin.

* * *

**Pairing:** Sesshoumaru/Inu no Taishou/Inuyasha  
**Genre:** Family/Tragedy/Hope  
**Universe:** Canon  
**Warnings:** None

**Word count:** 2 142

**Father to Son**

_A word in your ear  
From father to son  
Hear the word that I say  
I fought with you  
Fought on your side  
Long before you were born  
Joyful the sound  
The word goes around  
From father to son to son  
_

It was snowing again, and it was once more the day of Inuyasha's birth. The day Father died. He stood on the edge of Inuyasha's Forest and looked down upon the village of Edo. Inuyasha was still fawning over that miko, the one who guarded the Shikon no Tama.

It would be fitting to kill Inuyasha on the day that took Father away from him. The hanyou had already lived two hundred and seven years, and that was two hundred and seven years too many. Why had Father gone when he was so seriously injured? A mild frown creased his forehead as he took a few steps closer to the huddled puddle of human filth and degradation. The hanyou was with his miko down there, he could smell him. It was a warm smell, akin to Father's, but polluted with the scent of his weak mother – fresh water and autumnal leaves.

It made him pause.

"Sesshoumaru," his Father had said to him when he was very small, no more than eighty, "When I was young I fought hard, I wanted to please my Father as you want to please me. Every child is like this. He told me that we fight so hard, not because of those who came before, but for those who come next.

"I knew of my children when I was but a child myself, though I, like you, always swore I'd never have them. I wanted to live to hear them laugh and smile and be happy. And Father wanted me to live, laugh, smile and love. So he fought hard everywhere. Pushing himself to the limits. For family. I'll always protect you." Sesshoumaru at such a young age hadn't really understood all the words or the sentiments, but he kept those last words close. A season later Father had left to wage war on some provinces on the mainland, he was gone a little more than one hundred years.

Sesshoumaru could smell sake down in the village. Inuyasha was no doubt drunk, it would be too simple to kill a drunken foolish hanyou. And he wouldn't desecrate the day of Father's death by spilling familial blood, no matter how weak. Sighing he looked up at the moon. It was new moon tomorrow, there was no point lingering any longer.

Turning on his heel he left, hair and obi swinging in the frigid breeze as snow fell from heavy branches.

_And the voice is so clear  
Time after time it keeps  
Calling you, calling you on  
Don't destroy what you see  
Your country to be  
Just keep building on the ground  
That's been won  
Kings will be crowned  
The word goes around  
From father to son to son_

Not even a year later Sesshoumaru found himself standing in front of his half – brother as he slept, sealed to the Goshinboku. Those ears were relaxed in unnatural repose, Sesshoumaru reached out a clawed hand and pushed one little floppy up into its usual perky triangle. That was how they were meant to be when Sesshoumaru was near: alert and ready to fight; not like this.

In some indefinable way Sesshoumaru felt remorse; Inuyasha shouldn't be like this. Father would not like this, he knew that with absolute certainty. He didn't like needless destruction.

He was around two hundred when he found his Father one day when walking around Japan. It was the first time he'd seen him since he was eighty. "I have heard that you've become a very powerful warrior Sesshoumaru; starting to come into the title of diayoukai by right as well as by name."

"Thank you Father." That compliment was the first real one he'd had since he had finished his training when he was fifty. It made him happy, Father – the most powerful youkai in the world! – said he was strong. "Those who are strong have to mind their strength; it's too easy to forget and hurt too much accidentally. Skill and the correct application of strength is far better. It reflects positively on you as a youkai and the future ruler.

"Never get so caught up in wars that you neglect our lands and destroy them. Hold calm and steadily. And never let anger get the best of you in a fight."

Inuyasha fought recklessly all the time. No guard, no strategy, just brute force. It was like that from the first time Sesshoumaru had seen him and fought him. Inuyasha was forty. Fully adult by inuyoukai standards, though perhaps his body wasn't fully mature.

And his reckless attitudes and emotions, where had they got him? Sealed indefinitely to a tree. "You are weak Inuyasha. A disgrace." He turned and left, the last living creature of Father's blood aside from himself was gone. He was alone.

_Won't you hear us sing  
Our family song?  
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba  
Now we hand it on  
But I've heard it all before  
Take this letter that I give you  
Take it sonny hold it high  
You won't understand a word that's in it  
But you'll write it all again before you die_

Another century passed before he saw Father again, though he heard much about him, and, in later years, of the human woman he loved.

It had been snowing when Sesshoumaru found his Father, wounds pouring with blood and pinking the white snow on the shoreline. The dragon had grievously harmed him, but he would recover if he rested, Sesshoumaru knew a safe place. "Izayoi is in labour Sesshoumaru."

"You must rest."

"I must go to her and my son." That stung, but Father refused to look at him, steadfastly gazing out to sea. Sesshoumaru had to try, he didn't want Father to die; there was a slight chance he could convince Father to change his mind.

"Please."

"I cannot."

"Then give me your swords." He wanted them, they would make him more powerful, it would be easier to conquer and to safeguard what was already his. They were his inheritance, it only made sense to give them to him now. If Father survived, he would have them back. And if not – well, Father was so strong. He couldn't die.

"Sesshoumaru, do you have someone or something to protect?"

He remained silent, he didn't know. He did, but Father's tone and his stance made it clear he was asking something more powerful, slightly different from what he was saying. And that his answer would change what happened next.

Father left. And he never came back. Those last words haunted him always, especially during the snows or when he saw his brother, or even his own reflection. Did he have someone or something to protect?

_A word in your ear  
From father to son  
Funny you don't hear  
A single word that I say  
But my letter to you  
Will stay by your side  
Thru' the years  
Till the loneliness is gone_

He had never expected the past to be resurrected. But So'unga came back and Takemaru with him. Takemaru, the one who had dealt the death blow. It sharpened all those moments, and they hurt.

Inuyasha had So'unga. Inuyasha had Tessaiga. Inuyasha would have known what to say to Father. That he had someone to protect! Inuyasha even answered it, though Father never asked it of him. At the end then, Father felt as if Sesshoumaru had utterly disappointed him, was that it?

And for So'unga to bring up all his thoughts! That meant vengeance. He would not wield So'unga for it was a disgusting blade, what would he want with the power over the dead when he had that already in the unwanted, but very useful Tenseiga? Inuyasha could not wield it. And Takemaru did _not_ deserve it! He would achieve revenge and destroy both Takemaru and that hateful sword.

At the end, the very end, fighting the pure essence of the sword and the hell fiend within, something unexpected. Why had he saved Inuyasha? He would have survived, probably. And if not, well, he would be vexed he hadn't killed the idiot hanyou, but it wasn't problematic.

Inuyasha launched the bakuryuuha and it was failing. He recalled that the miko had said they needed to work together.

"_Sesshoumaru, do you have someone to protect?"_

Rin. It was that cursed question again. Did he? Rin. Jaken. Rin. No! Caring killed Father.

"I have nothing to protect!" He shouted in defiance of what he thought and of Father as he attacked. Aiming it not at So'unga, but to combine with Inuyasha's latest bakuryuuha.

So'unga died. And there was no chance of Takemaru ever coming back. It was time to leave, he was doing so with his small group when Father appeared. "I am proud of both of my sons." It made his heart sing, even though the sight of Father hurt so much.

Father hadn't been disappointed in him after all. He slid his fingers along Tenseiga's hilt gently as he walked away, and he wasn't as lonely as he was before. Maybe he was starting to understand Father's great secret to power.

_Sing if you will  
But the air you breathe  
I live to give you  
Father to son, father to son  
Father to son, father to son  
Joyful the sound  
Word goes around  
Father to son to son  
Kings will be crowned  
Word goes around  
Father to son to son_

"How cruel! That your Father should do such a thing at the last. Tenseiga is just a cast off of Tessaiga!" Cruel, cruel words. But they were truthful. A cast off for the son who didn't instantly understand his Father's creed. It was harsh and needlessly cruel of Father. It was all he had of him, while Inuyasha had Tessaiga and Father's old fire rat fur. Inuyasha had had Father's life given in exchange for his own pitiful one.

And strengthening the _stupid_, unwanted sword that had finally shown a useful offensive technique had cost him his Rin.

Was Father that cruel that he would engineer such a thing? It was diabolical and unfit of him.

And it had all been for an attack Father didn't want in the _true_ sword. Heh. Well then, he would do as Father ordered and give the completed technique to the son blessed with Father's favour.

But then . . . but then . . . he had attained the Bakusaiga. His own blade, not his Father's, not made by the master swordsmith, but his _true_ sword. True destruction in one hand, and true resurrection in the other hand.

"Father, did you intend for this Sesshoumaru to realise his true worth in this fashion? To surpass you and the title of the Inu no Taishou?"

_Joyful the sound  
Word goes around  
Father to son to son  
Kings will be crowned  
Word goes around  
Father to son to son  
_

He came out of his reverie.

It was snowing again, and it was once more the day of Inuyasha's birth. The day Father died. He stood on the edge of Inuyasha's Forest and looked down upon the village of Edo. Inuyasha was still fawning over that miko, the one who guarded the Shikon no Tama. The one who'd destroyed it. The hanyou was with his miko down there, he could smell him. It was a warm smell, akin to Father's, but overlaid with the scent of his weak mother – fresh water and autumnal leaves – and his friends and family.

At least this one loved him for his self.

Sesshoumaru could smell sake down in the village. Inuyasha was no doubt drunk, idiot hanyou. Sighing he looked up at the moon. It was new moon tomorrow, there was no point lingering any longer.

He walked into the village, silent even though the snow should announce him approach. He ducked his head into the miko's home, it was larger than the other houses in the village. "Oy, Sesshoumaru, you're late. What kind of bastard would be late to the celebrations? Or's'it you're jealous because you're an _ooooold_ man now?" The idiot was very drunk. Sesshoumaru sighed again before heading to one of the other rooms.

"Sesshoumaru – sama! Look, doesn't she look like her father?"

Sesshoumaru gazed at Rin's first child and nodded, "She looks very much like Kohaku."

As Sesshoumaru was given the newborn to hold while Rin sat up he knew that he more than understood his Father's words. While it truly was doubtful that he would ever have blood children now, he could still make sure Father's words were remembered. The miko was pregnant too.

"Sessssshhhhhoum'wu; I love you so much, you know that!?"

"Idiot."

* * *

**Post – story A/N:** This took longer than usual for two reasons. One is listed below; the other is that this was quite a tricky song and concept to work with. I've only listened to this song twice for one thing, and that was a good six weeks ago and the way the story worked. I'm satisfied with it though, but I think in some places it could have been more subtle. So, films:

It was _The Lion King_. What else can I say about one of _Disney_'s most acclaimed films of all time? It was pretty much perfect. I mean, the leaf cutter ants in the opening song are native to South America rather than Africa, but that's pretty much the biggest problem.

_Jeremy Irons_ is Scar! A(nother) well spoken Englishman in the villainous role, and he just makes it. His voice is dark and smooth and *gestures* distinguished. You love him, and _Be Prepared_ is a superb song! All of them are actually, well, apart from _Morning Report_ (I'm watching the extended version), so that's why it got cut. Watching _Sleeping Beauty_ back – to – back (practically) with two sublime villain voices with their smooth vileness dripping from every vowel and consonant. Is it any wonder the villains of _Disney_ films are often lauded as more interesting than the protagonists?

As a piece of trivia, Maleficent's VA also did Lady Tremaine from _Cinderella_. Cool, no wonder those two and Scar are so menacing. Shame that Scar lost his motivation after becoming King though. And yes, _The Lion King_ is _Hamlet_ with lions; _Lion King II_ is _Romeo and Juliet_ and _Lion King III_ is _Rosencratz and Guildstern Are Dead_. And people complain because Shakespeare plays are adapted extremely, extremely loosely for children.

In summary, this film's animation, songs, voices, plot is so bloody near perfect. Especially the amount of effort put into animating the animals correctly as if they were proper animals and the backgrounds. Great scope. And then there's the thing with Mufasa. For Heaven's sake! Not content with _Bambi_ were they? Not content with just killing a parent offscreen, they murder him _in front of his son_ and show his dead body as Simba curls up next to his cooling body!! Christ on a bike, is there any wonder why this makes people cry?

I actually barely wrote a thing while watching this film, it's so good. _Beauty and the Beast_ is on now. I love _Be Our Guest_, and the animation is very good, though at a push I'd have to say _Lion King_ and _Sleeping Beauty_ are far better. I like the villain dynamic though. In any other cartoon the handsome man is the hero, here he's a villain who incites a _human mob_ into murdering and killing people. That's quite chilling when you think about it. It's not a monster, a lion, a tiger, Satan, or someone _evil_. It's an ordinary, vain man who was denied one thing. Gives me shivers when you think upon it.

And the ballroom scene. That swooping angle with all those contrasting spins of the chandelier, the dancers and the camera angle itself! And the song, with the – it's a gem. And here, the animation is superb. However; I was a disappointed with the human Beast as you were. Urgh. The wolf scene was cool though, very realistic. Belle looks pretty with her hair loose, she's feisty, brave and practical. I like her, she's a step above a lot of _Disney_'s heroines.


	23. Lily Of The Valley First Style

**A/N:** One in the morning of the 24/08/09. And this is pretty vital, so I beg of you to read this.

**This story and the following one are part of an experiment. The same song, characters and plot will be used for them; the only difference is in the portrayal of the characters. One is my personal belief, the other is the most popular alternative (heh, guess which is which). If you wish you can read one or the other or both. I do hope you read both as it'll show just how easy it is to interpret a story one way or the other with but a simple interchange of some words, inflection and subconsciously felt feelings.**

**Yes, you read it, a lot of this will be pretty identical to the next. ALMOST. I hope you stick with me for this experiment. After all, it's fun to push one's limits and go beyond one's comfort zones.

* * *

**

**Pairing:** Sesshoumaru/Rin  
**Genre:** Family  
**Universe:** Canon  
**Warnings:** Inuyasha has a potty mouth

**Word count:** 1 222

**Lily of the Valley**

_I am forever searching high and low  
But why does everybody tell me no  
Neptune of the seas an answer for me please  
The lily of the valley doesn't know_

His mother's words rang in his years always, "Tenseiga only works once on every person." Rin had already died twice and she was barely seven years old. That last time she'd died, the one where it was his fault still scared him. He'd never felt such a rush of emotions as he had then, ones he'd never felt before; nor as strongly.

It was too dangerous for her to stay with him; that was why after Naraku had died he'd arranged for her to stay in Inuyasha's village. He wouldn't let any harm come to Rin, and if he did, then Inuyasha would face his brother's wrath.

Sesshoumaru had something to do. There was a thing he wished to protect, and he had to make sure he could. Rin was only human. Humans seldom lived more than seventy years. He was nearly ten times that age, and still young, especially for an inuyoukai. Even Inuyasha could expect to live for near a thousand years. That is, if he didn't change his mind and kill his idiot brother. And their Father was nearly eighteen hundred years old and hardly middle – aged when he'd prematurely died.

It was not right that Rin should die before him.

So he travelled over all Japan and the mainland seeking an answer. The most venerable youkai such as Bokuseno knew fables that he could follow up on. But again and again over the years the final answer was always no. It hadn't been a human, it wouldn't work on her. Or it would only work if he was willing to do something terrible.

Even the gods of Japan, bound to their earthly homes couldn't help him even as they felt his plight. Or his anger at their insolence.

In his need, and feeling his despondence increasing by the season he went even further to seek the answer.

_I lie and wait with open eyes  
I carry on thru' stormy skies  
I follow ev'ry course my kingdom for a horse  
But each time I grow old  
Serpent of the Nile relieve me for a while  
And cast me from your spell and let me go  
_

Finally, in the country to the east of the Himalayas he was told of a country where the gods were like youkai: animals that walked in humanoid form, and knew how to grant an extended life if both sides were willing.

He left for the desert land and flew for days without rest through endless blue skies and through storms that could even pose _him_ some slight danger. Exhausted and wearier than he had been in years he landed at the delta of a river.

The youkai – goddess Isis received him with some trepidation, "What would you give for such a request?"

"Anything is needed." She gave him a list of three items and said that he should gather them all and the order in which he should combine them, then added hesitantly, "Your blood also. And it must be meant honestly and truly, with all surety as to what you and her _both_ want.

"If not, because of your incredible strength, it would overwhelm the girl and she would endure a long and excruciating illness as your blood devours her from the inside and dissolves her organs. It would take roughly two lunar cycles because of your prodigious healing powers."

"Understood."

Far to the north he took a twig and a berry from the tree called Yggdrasil – the World Tree. From the west he took water from a spring said to be sacred to their strange god and known by an ancient human prophesied to be the once and future king. And from the south in a land of rainforests untouched by humans the sap of a tree that dominated them all. The drink was prepared when he came back home, as per the instructions he received a full year ago.

_Messenger from seven seas has flown  
To tell the king of Rhye he's lost his throne  
Wars will never cease  
Is there time enough for peace?  
The lily of the valley doesn't know  
_

Looking once more on Inuyasha's village he held the bottle firmly in his hand. He had no desire to redo that arduous journey, and he missed Rin. The old miko told him that Rin and his brother's group were out on some pleasure journey, and once more he set off in search of his brother.

"Rin." He said as he appeared beside the young girl.

"Sesshoumaru – sama? Ah! Rin missed you a lot!"

"What the fuck! You go off for a year and now you just pop up out of nowhere! How the fuck do you do that?"

"Inuyasha, stop swearing!" Even pregnant the miko had an awful screech.

"We will stop now." Sesshoumaru said decidedly and Rin and Kohaku instantly obeyed because of the short time they'd spent with him. He looked at them, Rin was twelve now and she was still bubbly and innocent; Kohaku had grown a lot and seemed more confident and sure of himself. The result of his growing employment as a taijya Sesshoumaru decided.

"What's in the bottle Sesshoumaru? Taking up drinking? The old man would be ashamed of you."

"Idiot. Father was very fond of sake, and it would take far more than one bottle to even qualify as alcohol. However, this is not sake. If Rin wishes, it is for her."

"For Rin?"

"Once, when you were younger and travelled with this Sesshoumaru you asked him a question."

"Oh." Rin looked crestfallen, "Rin knows you'll never forget her, it was a silly question."

"What need is there for remembering a child if she were to drink this and have a youkai's lifespan?"

The other humans gasped as Sesshoumaru offered Rin the bottle. She took it carefully and looked at Sesshoumaru. "If Rin were to drink this, and live almost forever, what would happen to the one Rin liked?"

"If you were to marry or mate that person and the both of you truly loved the other then, as with youkai contracts, the two would have lifespans equal to that of the one who was most powerful."

"So if Rin were to marry or mate a human, that human would live as long as Rin. And if Rin were to mate or marry a youkai or one of strong youkai blood, she would live as long as the youkai.

"What else?"

"What is felt by the giver of the gift must be felt by the receiver."

"Sesshoumaru – sama has always been Rin's Daddy."

"Rin has been this Sesshoumaru's daughter for a very long time." They were simple truths, everyone knew them or at least part of them, but they were stunned to hear them accepted and to see Rin instantly drink from the bottle. She made a face, "It's bitter."

Sesshoumaru watched her carefully for a minute as Rin checked herself over, "Rin doesn't look any different." She complained.

"Rin is Rin and that is all she should be." Rin grinned happily and placed one of her hands one Kohaku's, "Rin is glad then. Thank you for the gifts Father. Thank you!"

* * *

**Post – story A/N:** I hope you liked this one; and perhaps you can even see why I chose this odd and ambiguous song. It's easy to inflect in both ways.


	24. Lily Of The Valley Second Style

**A/N:** 19:02, 24/08/09 here, and we're onto the other half.

**This story and the following one are part of an experiment. The same song, characters and plot will be used for them; the only difference is in the portrayal of the characters. One is my personal belief, the other is the most popular alternative (heh, guess which is which). If you wish you can read one or the other or both. I do hope you read both as it'll show just how easy it is to interpret a story one way or the other with but a simple interchange of some words, inflection and subconsciously felt feelings.**

**Yes, you read it, a lot of this will be almost identical to the previous iteration. ALMOST. I hope you stick with me for this experiment. After all, it's fun to push one's limits and go beyond one's comfort zones.**

Ah, and I'd like to credit this little experiment, and especially this story to the inestimable **Ravyn Skye**, the well - known loli writer. Her writing's good enough that I'll read even with my hesitations. I hope you like my attempt **Miss Skye**, I do hope you do.

* * *

**Pairing:** Sesshoumaru/Rin  
**Genre:** Family  
**Universe:** Canon  
**Warnings:** Inuyasha has a potty mouth. Lolicon. _Reciprocated_ lolicon

**Word count:** 1 403

**Lily of the Valley**

_I am forever searching high and low  
But why does everybody tell me no  
Neptune of the seas an answer for me please  
The lily of the valley doesn't know_

His mother's words rang in his years always, "Tenseiga only works once on every person." Rin had already died twice and she was barely seven years old. That last time she'd died, the one where it was his fault still scared him. He'd never felt such a rush of emotions as he had then, ones he'd never felt before, nor as strongly. They _hurt_ worse than anything, as if he'd lost something more permanent than a limb. And when Rin woke up, he knew true relief. Rin was back where she belonged.

"He's becoming too much like his father," He'd heard her say, well, in his honourable opinion, there were worse people to be like.

It was too dangerous for her to stay with him; that was why after Naraku had died he'd arranged for her to stay in Inuyasha's village. He wouldn't let any harm come to Rin, and if he did, then Inuyasha would face his brother's wrath. And perhaps when Rin was older she would consent to journeying with him again; she often confided in him how claustrophobic Edo was.

Sesshoumaru had something to do.

There was a thing he wished to protect, and he had to make sure he could. Rin was only human. Humans seldom lived more than seventy years. He was nearly ten times that age, and still young, especially for an inuyoukai. Even Inuyasha could expect to live for near a thousand years along with his miko. That is, if he didn't change his mind and kill his idiot brother. And their Father was nearly eighteen hundred years old and hardly middle – aged when he'd prematurely died.

He shouldn't have to live for millennia without his Rin.

So he travelled the length of Japan and the throughout the barbarous mainland seeking an answer. The most venerable youkai such as Bokuseno and the Dragon of China knew fables that he could follow up on. But again and again over the years the final answer was always no. It hadn't been a human; it wouldn't work on her. Or it would only work if he was willing to do something terrible.

Even the gods of Japan, bound to their earthly homes couldn't help him even as they felt his plight. Or his anger at their insolence.

In his need, and feeling his despondence increasing by the season he went even further to seek the answer. Time was short.

_I lie and wait with open eyes  
I carry on thru' stormy skies  
I follow ev'ry course my kingdom for a horse  
But each time I grow old  
Serpent of the Nile relieve me for a while  
And cast me from your spell and let me go  
_

Finally, in the country to the east and south of the Himalayas he was told of a country where the gods were like youkai: animals that walked in humanoid form, and knew how to grant an extended life if both sides were willing. He was to seek out a bird youkai who had brought a male human back from the dead and raised him to 'godhood'.

He left for the desert land and flew for days without rest through endless blue skies and through storms that could even pose _him_ some slight danger. Exhausted and wearier than he had been in years he landed at the delta of a river.

The youkai – goddess Isis received him with some trepidation, "What would you give for such a request?"

"Anything is needed." She gave him a list of three items and said that he should gather them all and the order in which he should combine them, then added hesitantly, "Your blood also. And it must be meant honestly and truly, with all surety as to what you and her _both_ want. The emotion must be reciprocated. It must!

"If not, because of your incredible strength, it would overwhelm the girl and she would endure a long and excruciating illness as your blood devours her from the inside and dissolves her organs. It would take roughly two lunar cycles because of your prodigious healing powers."

"Understood."

Far to the north he took a twig and a berry from the tree called Yggdrasil – the World Tree. From the west he took water from a spring said to be sacred to their strange god and where an ancient queen had joined hands with a legendary human prophesied to be a once and future king. And from the south in a land of rainforests untouched by humans the sap of a tree that dominated them all. The drink was prepared when he came back home, as per the instructions he received a full year ago.

_Messenger from seven seas has flown  
To tell the king of Rhye he's lost his throne  
Wars will never cease  
Is there time enough for peace?  
The lily of the valley doesn't know  
_

Looking once more on Inuyasha's village he held the bottle firmly in his hand. He had no desire to redo that arduous journey, and he missed Rin. The old miko told him that Rin and his brother's group were out on some pleasure journey, and once more he set off in search of his brother. War raged within the normally placid youkai as he realised that on today would rest everything.

"Rin." He said as he appeared beside the young girl.

"Sesshoumaru – sama? Ah! Rin missed you a lot!"

"What the fuck! You go off for a year and now you just pop up out of nowhere! How the fuck do you do that?"

"Inuyasha, stop swearing!" Even pregnant the miko had an awful screech.

"We will stop now." Sesshoumaru said decidedly and Rin and Kohaku instantly obeyed because of the short time they'd spent with him. He looked at them, Rin was twelve now and she was still bubbly and innocent; Kohaku had grown a lot and seemed more confident and sure of himself. The result of his growing employment as a taijya Sesshoumaru decided.

"What's in the bottle Sesshoumaru? Taking up drinking? The old man would be ashamed of you."

"Idiot. Father was very fond of sake, and it would take far more than one bottle to even qualify as alcohol. However, this is not sake. If Rin wishes, it is for her."

"For Rin?"

"Once, when you were younger and travelled with this Sesshoumaru you asked him a question."

"Oh." Rin looked crestfallen, "Rin knows you'll never forget her, it was a silly question."

"What need is there for remembering a woman if she were to drink this and have a youkai's lifespan?"

The other humans gasped as Sesshoumaru offered Rin the bottle. She took it carefully and looked at Sesshoumaru. "If Rin were to drink this, and live almost forever, what would happen to the one Rin liked?"

"If you were to marry or mate that person and the both of you truly loved the other then, as with youkai contracts, the two would have lifespans equal to that of the one who was most powerful."

"So if Rin were to marry or mate a human, that human would live as long as Rin. And if Rin were to mate or marry a youkai or one of strong youkai blood, she would live as long as the youkai.

"And should the most powerful of the two die prematurely, than the one left behind would live out his or her natural lifespan from the moment they had entered into the full contract."

"What else?"

"What is felt by the giver of the gift must be felt by the receiver."

"Rin has always belonged to her Sesshoumaru - sama."

"This Sesshoumaru has always belonged to his Rin." They were simple truths, everyone knew them or at least part of them, but they were stunned to hear them accepted and to see Rin instantly drink from the bottle. She made a face, "It's bitter."

Sesshoumaru watched her carefully for a minute as Rin checked herself over, "Rin doesn't look any different." She complained.

"Rin is Rin and that is all she should be." Rin grinned happily and placed one of her hands on his own, "Rin is glad then. Thank you for the gifts Sesshoumaru - sama. Thank you!"

"Holy shit! I knew it."

* * *

**Post – story A/N:** I hope you liked this one; and perhaps you can even see why I chose this odd and ambiguous song. It's easy to inflect in both ways. Hooray for defying comfort zones, and this one either feels smoother or much rougher than the previous one because I'm faaaaaaar out of my comfort zone. Feedback on my experiment is appreciated, and I'd like to know which one people preferred not just because of their personal OTPs or pro - /anti – lolicon sentiments (I'm fairly anti – loli myself) but because of the style of writing and my approach.

I could have made the two stories pretty individual, but it always intrigued me to see 'Romance/Family/General' pinned to one where you could take the pairing either way, so I thought let's see how little one can change in order to affect this pairing.

And to make it equal I can _either_ do a similar family/shotacon one with Kagome/Shippou or a brother/incest thing with Sesshoumaru/Inuyasha. Or maybe both. Because I'm weird like that and think leaping out of your comfort zone onto the slippery slope of THIS IS WEIRD, MUMMY I DON'T LIKE IT can help your writing.

Well, until the next chapter,

Artemis


	25. It's A Beautiful Day

**A/N:** 20:15, 24/08/09. And now I'm back in my comfort zone, it's warm and safe here. Tonight's films are _The Little Mermaid_ and _The Incredibles_. The last is because I feel like being caustic. But first here's something warm, sweet and probably melancholic, verging on triumphant.

* * *

**Pairing:** Inuyasha, Izayoi  
**Genre:** Family/Tragedy/Introspection/Melancholy/Triumph  
**Universe:** Canon  
**Warnings:** Inuyasha has a mouth

**Word count:** 636

**It's A Beautiful Day**

_It's a beautiful day  
The sun is shining  
I feel good  
And no-one's gonna stop me now, oh yeah_

It was high summer and the western zephyrs were gentle and bore a soft flowered fragrance. It reminded Inuyasha of his mum. Back in the days of his extreme childhood she still had a few small bottles of her perfume with her and she wore it on special occasions or whenever she felt like it was beautiful outside in every way.

It was daisies and cherries. That was her smell, and that was what the wind smelt of today. He missed her so much. She was sick, something bad was growing inside her, it had made the flowers smell of mildew and sickly sweet autumn rot. It had been hard knowing she was going to die before she knew.

So he made himself as strong as possible. Going hunting, fishing, collecting water, doing everything he could to make his mum happy and safe.

He failed to protect her. And then he was run out of the last village he'd called 'home' until Edo.

And it was in Edo that he managed to keep and protect his special person. Simply because he wouldn't let anything; not his arsehole brother, not Naraku, not even time itself could keep him away from his Kagome!

_It's a beautiful day  
I fell good, I fell right  
And no-one, no-one's gonna stop me now  
Mama  
_

The river he was walking by laughed melodiously. He was off to visit his mum's grave, holding a handful of bright wildflowers unabashedly in his hands.

Mum, may all the gods bless her soul, had done her utmost best to raise him properly with care to his instincts. And she knew so little about youkai and hanyou instincts, only the little she knew from dad. Inuyasha would do anything for his mother, always had, always would.

A deposed high born lady, outcast for loving and caring for non – humans. Oh, she had been so strong. How else could he turn out after seeing her persistence and strength of will. As a child he insisted that his mum could destroy mountains. "You could, you really could." He said to her as he knelt by the gravestone he'd made and carved himself. Inuyasha traced out that childish hiragana characters with a firmer, surer hand. Etching 'Izayoi' deeper into the unmoving stone, so that passers by for centuries would read her name and remember it.

Without his mum he wouldn't be here. Simple. But noone ever gave her thanks.

_Sometimes I fell so sad, so sad, so bad  
But no-one's gonna stop me now, no-one  
It's hopeless - so hopeless to even try _

For all the centuries after her death, the endless days without her careless hugs and murmured "Inu – chan, my beautiful boy, you're the strongest boy there will ever be. Now show your mama your smile." He had been so alone and despised for being a halfblood.

It was hopeless to fight their perspective. He was reviled and hated. So he learnt to hate, to be gruff and to always, always scowl and to never ever cry. Because crying showed your weaknesses.

And he learnt to fight. Especially thanks to his inestimable brother there – at least he never held back.

But with Kikyou had come the promise of Kagome, Shippou, Miroku and Sango. It all looked up from there, he became stronger, a protector who wouldn't let anyone or anything take away his family. Hell, even Sesshoumaru wasn't trying to kill him too seriously any more.

His fame spread widely after Naraku's death. Noone was ever going to stop him again. "Hey Mum, you don't have to worry any more, or hide your tears; I'm happy now. You can go to Dad if you really want.

"I'll miss you."

* * *

**Post – story A/N:** Short and sweet. I quite like this one.

_The Incredibles_ is okay. But it's CGI and the characters are too caricatured. I get it, I know that's a deliberate thing and meant to be hammy and comic – like, but I don't particularly like it. However, Frozone is also known as Samuel L. Jackson. He is therefore, the best character by miles. Miles.

Verdict: average. Worth watching for the greatness that is Samuel L. Jackson.


	26. Bicycle Race

A/N: 22:38, 24/08/09. One of my little brothers picked this out. When I say that, I now have twenty – seven left in my Pending file. I gave him a number between 1 and 27. He picked seven. So now I've got this song. I enjoy a challenge, but this is so utterly an AU, so don't expect anything else.

* * *

**Pairing:** Izayoi/Inu no Taishou  
**Genre:** Romance  
**Universe:** AU  
**Warning:** None

**Word count:** 459

**Bicycle Race**

_I want to ride my bicycle  
I want to ride it where I like _

That was how they met; riding their bikes on a forest path. Actually, they more or less crashed into each other because she was distracted by a fox, he was busy listening to his beloved music, eyes half shut.

They both damaged their bikes so ended up walking back together, and on the way discovered many things. Mostly that what one hated the other loved.

They had barely anything in common!

_You say black I say white  
You say bark I say bite  
You say shark I say hey man  
Jaws was never my scene  
And I don't like Star Wars _

Colours, films, animals, music. Not a thing in common, and yet they couldn't help but enjoy themselves as they walked through verdant greens and golds of summer all fading into the burning oranges and fiery reds of autumn.

They guess opposites attracted after all. Never believed in that cliché before, but they still found themselves telling the other - a stranger until that fateful meeting - things they'd seldom revealed to even their closest confidante or family member. How one was restricted by the rigid beliefs her family held her to – that she would marry a well - established man with money, and not someone she loved. He in turn confided in how he was going through a messy divorce and how the ex wanted to keep his little boy. She wished him luck; and he commiserated with her.

And the raging arguments they slipped into from time to time on as they ever - dawdled to lengthen their time together. And how they grinned and gesticulated wildly - always taking care of their bikes - to the rare walker passing by the atmosphere between the two was an intimate one. But yet this was their first meeting.

But it turned out that they were both taking part in the same sponsored bike race in a week so they swapped numbers and arranged to meet on the day of the race.

The day dawned and the two arrived nice and early for a pre - race chat. And prepared for the race.

_Bicycle races are coming your way  
So forget all your duties oh yeah!_

_On your marks get set go _

They didn't win the race though, they just took their time and rode. Not that it mattered by then, the upper class Izayoi and the immigrant, Inu no Taishou just found joy by riding with one another, besides, it wasn't like they were competing to win anything big.

_I want to ride my bicycle  
I want to ride it where I like _

They wanted to ride side by side forever.

* * *

**A/N:** Considering the song, I think I did pretty well.

_The Little Mermaid_ is another classic _Disney_ film. Again, I find the heroine insipid, but nowhere near as awful as Eric. That's his name right? I don't know, if the girl's the main character it tends to be that her male counterpart is bland and part of the scenery. The only exceptions I care to think of are Prince Phillip and John Smith.

As usual with me at least, the villain steals the show. Ursula, she's a 'large woman' (umm, hello? Who cares if she's fat or thin. She's voluptuous, sexy and deliciously evil. What _real_ motive does she have for causing misery? Because she likes it! I swear, the crown is just a fortunate windfall) with a great voice, _Poor Unfortunate Souls_ is by far – no. All of _Mermaid_'s score and songs are amazing. But _Poor Unfortunate Souls_ is still one of the best songs in the film, and one of _the_ best villain songs of all time. I believe the VA was Pat Connel and she has a jaw dropping voice.

Very, very sensual.

Hah! I might as well call my _Disney_ marathon: Rave Over _Disney_'s Villains Fortnight. I probably would've done that if I had _Aladdin_ on DVD. We have it on video, but my video player's packed in. Oh! But while I'm on my digression, has anyone ever seen _The Black Cauldron_? Fantastic villain. I'll get onto this darker and edgier side of _Disney_ Canon soon. That and _Basil The Great Mouse Detective_ are up tomorrow. Hopefully.


	27. Body Language

A/N: 20:34, 25/08/09 here. Films of the day for my Rave Over _Disney_'s Villains Fortnight are _The Black Cauldron_ and _Basil The Great Mouse Detective._

**STOP PRESSES!** Noticing that there was a _The Little Matchgirl_ short on the second disk of _Little Mermaid_ I put that in before I went and got my films of the night. Now, I'm not one for swearing in real life, I don't even like writing Inuyasha's swearing, so when I say this, I really mean it: Holy shit _Disney_ and Hans Christian Andersen! Don't you like _happy_ children. The original stories sad enough, but the short's set in (presumably) post – 1917 Russia, there's no dialogue and it's got a fantastic score. Just one song by a string quartet. I was crying by the time I hit 01:18. And it got _worse_ from there. _Disney_ made it fairly blatant the little girl was dying, and then the hallucinations . . . and then at the end when Grandmama picked up the little girl you thought, _for one Goddamned second_ that she had been saved. Then she walks into a glow and the last shot is a dead little girl huddled barefoot in the cold. Cut to black.

Don't they call _Disney_ the happiest place on earth?

So I basically cut out of this story and wrote a little story, and for the first time I'm going to be looking for a song so I can fully flesh out the story. God, _Disney_. Just. No. And to think I was in a happy bubbly mood. Well, it's 21:47. Here we go.

* * *

**Pairing:** Sango/Miroku  
**Genre:** Fluff/Fun/Romance  
**Universe:** Canon  
**Warnings:** Miroku, just Miroku; and Inuyasha can speak, so yeah

**Word count:** 1 129

**Body Language**

_Give me your body  
Give me your body, body  
Give me your body  
Don't talk, don't talk, don't talk, don't talk  
Baby, don't talk  
Body language  
Body language  
Body language_

Miroku was a self – proclaimed expert on the delights, joys and perfections inherent in that sublime creation of the gods: the female form. And of course, as a monk of the blessed Buddha, he was conversant in the unwritten language of the body, be it male or female. Though it is obvious to all that he much preferred the female form with it's swaying hips, ample breasts and waists that just begged for a hand to wrap around its lonely self and warm it with chivalry.

"You're not exactly the embodiment of monkish virtue are you?" Inuyasha groused one evening as he violently stopped Miroku from voluntarily subjecting himself to a beating, "'Checking in on the girls' indeed. I don't notice you doing it any time but when we're near water."

"My poor, poor dear friend. It's such a shame you don't understand the language that has no words."

"What." Oh, the flatness of his tone, the disbelieving levelled eyebrows drawn slightly threateningly over frowning eyes; it was time to elucidate the innocent hanyou. "Why, the very way they walk, with that coquettish tilt of the hips, the last come hither looks beckoning me to them. They _ask_ that I come check on them. It is only a courtesy."

Inuyasha tilted his head in thought and his eyes became distant. "The last time we stopped at a village was a full half moon cycle ago, and we haven't been near that old fart Mushin's place, so you ain't drunk. You despise opiates, you haven't taken any knocks to the head any harder than usual." A swift hand rested itself on Miroku's forehead, "And you're not running a fever, but you don't smell ill anyway.

"That's it. You've finally lost it. You're abso – fuckin' – lutely insane."

Miroku laughed, "No I'm not, I'm as sane as any monk with a cursed hand, doomed to a short life is who takes up - _willingly_, with an inuhanyou, a miko from five hundred years in the future, an orphaned kitsune cub and a taijya with a cat youkai. Oh, and said inuhanyou happens to enjoy risking death by fighting with his daiyoukai half – brother who just happens to be the Lord of the West. And our joint quest is to collect shards of a jewel thought to have disappeared fifty years ago, but is now being collected by a hanyou called Naraku _who just so happens_ to be the one who cursed my grandfather. _Perfectly_ sane.

"The point is, darling Sango does want me. She just doesn't know it yet."

"You're mad. Go and get another concussion monk, I'm not going to interfere with a quest brought on by insanity. However, you did make a point of saying that _Kagome_ didn't want you. So if you _do_ insist on your chivalrous exploits, know that you're in for three – fold punishment."

"Ah, but the crime is worth the punishment. More than worth it."

_You got red lips, snakes in your eyes  
Long legs, great thighs,  
You got the cutest ass I've ever seen  
Knock me down for a six any time_

Miroku gazed longingly at the taijya who walked in front of him. It was a perfect view he gained by walking at the back. Whether it was in her faded kimono or that sensuously fitting, oh so desirable tight fitting taijya uniform. The way it hugged her body, all those curves and . . . all _those_ curves. Nirvana was on earth. And it was right in front of him.

It was the legs and that cutely plump little rear that did it for him. How could any red blooded male resist that?! Well, unless they already had a love, but that was Inuyasha's choice. Although Kagome – sama did look very interesting in that scandalously short 'skirt' thing of hers; perhaps he could get Sango to try that on one day. Sango had much better legs than Kagome – sama.

Lost in his fantasy Miroku failed to realise that the girls had slowed down to walk beside him. It really was unconscious that time! His hand was cursed! It had a mind of its own! That right hand of his lifted gently (watched by a smirking pair consisting of a kitsune cub and inuhanyou) all unnoticed by the gossiping girls, slid around the inviting curve of darling Sango's rear, and he sighed contentedly. He didn't _know_ what he'd done, he wasn't even thinking of it! He just felt so happy then.

"_PERVERT!!_" There was a solid thump of flesh impacting on armour backed glove as Miroku received his usual punishment.

"Sango, it's my cursed hand. I didn't do it!"

_Look at me, I gotta case of body language  
Look at me, I gotta case of body language  
Look at me, I gotta case of body language  
Look at me. I gotta case of body language  
Of body language  
Of body language_

"Liar!" Sango was an oil painting of rigid lines of fury hurt and offended affection. She stormed off leaving a bemused and upset Miroku behind under attack from his other friends. He was a little stunned from the punch and from what had happened, she'd never done that before.

He already knew what to do before either of the other three even suggested it. All movement suggested it: go to Sango. So he did.

She was sitting huddled up like a child who'd just heard her entire family was dead – he winced. Maybe that was a little _too_ accurate a simile all things considering. But she was trying to shut off everything; he _had_ gone too far. "Stupid cursed hand!" He hissed at his gloved hand.

He had to trust to instinct, his rationale didn't know what to do. So he sat close to her, but didn't touch. "Go a_way_ Kagome."

"It's not Kagome."

"I don't want to even look at you."

"I am a fool. I completely understand." She peeked out at him from under her folded arms. "My actions are horrible, foolish. I don't deserve you."

_Yeah, sexy body, sexy, _sexy_ body  
I want your body,  
Baby you're hot_

"You are perfect. I could never hope to ever know perfection. All I want is Sango."

"You want my body."

"It's a bonus, I concede that, but I want _Sango_."

_Body language  
Body language  
_

Time to take a chance. She wasn't unwilling, her angles had softened slightly, so he reached out the hand that meant he couldn't love or be close to anyone, and lifted her chin. There was no resistance, so he turned her face to his. She was the one who leant closer.

A kiss is the purest form of unspoken word. For real love will infuse a kiss with the gentlest, most passionate feelings as well as the doubts and fears. And the fears and doubts are as sweet as the rest.

A first kiss can approach perfection, if one knows the right person. And Miroku was right for Sango, as she was right for him.

* * *

**Post – story A/N:** How appropriate that I should finish this story just as the infamous stripper scene began. By the way, the stripper is credited as Miss Kitty. And the internet picks on the furry community. Even _Disney_ got in on it. Hell, they probably assisted in the creation of them.

Okay, now the villain, on Ratigan (yes, he _is_ a rat ("no a mouse, yeah, a _big_ mouse")) is voiced by _Vincent Price_. This is pretty epic. He has no need or compunction to be evil other than he likes the infamy. His villain song: _The World's Greatest Criminal Mind_ is him boasting about how he loves to be evil and how his next escapade will be "worse than the widows and orphans you've drowned". Uhuh, a _Disney_ villain sings of killing kiddiewinkies. And sings the heroes to death in an insane death trap/execution, and the song's title? _Goodbye, So Soon?_. Ironic. So civilised and evil.

And smeg. The climactic fight inside the mechanism of the clock tower that houses Big Ben (that's the bell, not the name of the tower) is scary. The hero bleeds, jets of blood spray up and around. True, the CGI of some of the cogs is a bit obvious, but it was one of the first times it was ever used. Vicious flipping fight. This is where the bestiality of an insane rat villain shows itself, finally losing the veneer of civility.

The heroes are okay. Most of you would think they were pretty blatant ripoffs of the famous duo of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, but they're actually based off of characters in a book ripping off Holmes and Sidekick. Olivia's quite cool, but she's a child. But in a twist, the damsel in distress is Olivia's father. Pretty unique that. Well worth watching, if only for Vincent Price – I mean Ratigan.


	28. Another One Bites The Dust

A/N: 23:04, still the 25/08/09. _The Black Cauldron_'s just started. I'm pretty happy now, a good fluffy Miroku/Sango is always good for a cheering up. And now for some payback. I've been trying to work this song into a story for months now, but I finally hit upon the right plot. Enjoy!

* * *

**Pairing:** Naraku/Kagura  
**Genre:** General/Payback  
**Universe:** Canon divergent  
**Warnings:** None

**Word count:** 1 116

**Another One Bites The Dust**

_Steve walks warily down the street,  
With the brim pulled way down low  
Ain't no sound but the sound of his feet,  
Machine guns ready to go  
Are you ready, are you ready for this  
Are you hanging on the edge of your seat  
Out of the doorway the bullets rip  
To the sound of the beat_

Naraku was fleeing, running scared. Something had gone terribly wrong! Kagura was dead! None of his rebellious children knew where he had hidden, only his subservient and obedient little Kanna knew. But how else had they known where he was? Inuyasha, that contemptible pest and his little group with that odious miko had found him and nearly killed him!

Naraku now had nothing left of the jewel shards he'd been hoarding aside from two solitary little fragments that glowed darkly in the palm of his hand.

Moryuumaru. Moryuumaru and the infant must have allied themselves with Inuyasha's annoying team. It was time to remove his naughty children from life.

_Another one bites the dust  
Another one bites the dust  
And another one gone, and another one gone  
Another one bites the dust  
Hey, I'm gonna get you too  
Another one bites the dust_

The faint mental link to his flesh led him straight to them.

He stared agape at the remains of the two he'd thought of as the traitors who'd nearly killed him, and had destroyed Kanna. His incarnations were dying, and he couldn't spawn off another one for a quarter lunar cycle! How did they know?!

Who had betrayed him? That boy, Kohaku, he was probably dead. Kagura's feather would have died along with her.

There was noone left!

_How do you think I'm going to get along,  
Without you, when you're gone  
You took me for everything that I had,  
And kicked me out on my own_

"Naraku!" Inuyasha! Jamming his last shards into his body he turned, semi – confident in being able to escape the other hanyou's uncontrolled attacks.

They jumped out from the tree line and ran down the hill to confront him, and he faced them with a thin outward show of confidence and cool arrogance. "Ah, little Inuyasha and your brood. I see you've returned to another battlefield?"

Cockily Inuyasha said, "Oh, so they found them then. Why don't you come out, Naraku deserves to know doesn't he?"

A fiercely chill blast of youki so strong it made him flinch appeared behind him. He didn't want it to be Sesshoumaru; Sesshoumaru was a deadly threat even if he _did_ have two jewel shards. Combined with his brothers group his death was imminent. He turned slightly to keep both Sesshoumaru and the other band of warriors in his view.

A cool head nodded towards him, "Naraku."

"You're dead!" He'd injected her heart – flimsy, perilously dangerous thing that it was – himself. But Kagura – she knew everything! His little slave, the one who was joined to him.

"You don't know your enemies well at all do you?"

Tenseiga? "Tenseiga? Tenseiga? _Sesshoumaru_ brought you back!"

"You should not have underestimated this Sesshoumaru or Kagura. She lived longer than you expected." Only now did he notice the white figure that stood alongside Kagura, the Western Lord was here too!

"And now Naraku, I'm free! Free to be whoever I want, wherever I want, with my heart back in its place.

"And the first thing I'm going to do is obliterate the one who tried to keep the wind enslaved!"

He laughed nervously, surreptitiously drawing deeply on the jewel's powers. Then Sesshoumaru smiled and he stopped. "So Kagura, you goin' to help kill the bastard or what?"

"No." She said firmly, "I'm going to kill him. _You_ will simply stop him from escaping." Things were not going according to plan.

_Are you happy, are you satisfied  
How long can you stand the heat  
Out of the doorway the bullets rip  
To the sound of the beat  
_  
Throwing away all pretence at calm Naraku began pleading and entreating, "Kagura, I created you, gave you life. Surely you cannot personally take your vengeance on me? I may have done you small wrongs, but I gave you life! You would not exist without me.

"You owe me." All the while he'd been concentrating the entirety of the shards' power into one single tentacle charged with enough miasma to dissolve granite and youkai bone. Even the great Sesshoumaru – sama couldn't bring back life if there was no body in which to house it. And then, in the panic afterwards, he could easily escape and begin all over again. Annoying, but another two or three seasons was nothing compared to the previous fifty years.

Then the miko spoke, "Inuyasha, he has two fragments in the centre of his torso, it's so dark! He's drawing on their whole power."

Kagura laughed, "You _forgot_! You actually forgot about Kagome. You truly are an idiot Naraku. To think that I wouldn't want revenge upon you; to forget that Kagome can see the Shikon no Tama. To forget about Sesshoumaru! To forget that I love him!

"Even a simple human child would've remembered that much!" Naraku desperately raised his barrier, but Inuyasha disposed of it with a careless swing of that infernal Tessaiga. And his attempt at flying away resulted in Sesshoumaru ripping away half his body with a single attack. Sesshoumaru didn't even bother to keep his sword out, he sheathed it and it was as if he'd never moved in the first place. "You will die here Naraku." He said in his chill voice before falling silent for the rest of the fight.

_Another one bites the dust  
Another one bites the dust  
Another one bites the dust  
Another one bites the dust  
There are plenty of ways you can hurt a man  
And bring him to the ground  
You can beat him  
You can cheat him  
You can treat him bad and leave him  
When he's down  
But I'm ready, yes I'm ready for you  
I'm standing on my own two feet  
Out of the doorway the bullets rip  
Repeating the sound of the beat_

"You feared me Naraku. I'm too strong for you; I can _think_. Why else would you chain me up and visit such pains upon me except to break me to your will. I'm stronger than you!

"I'm my own now. I belong to _myself_. And I will kill you. You can fight or not, the end result is the same.

"This Kagura, to use an annoying turn of phrase, will kill you today."

And the web of fear that had been woven during the entire confrontation was completed; Naraku was entrapped in heated fear. And there was no escape.

* * *

**Post – story A/N:** Not my best, but not my worst. I think I'll concentrate more on **Spritz** for a bit, you know, alter the ratio.

_Black Cauldron_ is an interesting film, based in 'Wales'. I want to read the books this film is based on dreadfully. Oddly for a _Disney_ film this one has no songs, not even background ones, just instrumental incidental music; the setup's different too. The hero isn't the hero, the princess isn't really, and one of the plucky sidekicks is the hero. The villain is most assuredly the villain though. The villain is the Horned King. A sort of demonic zombie who uses the titular cauldron to summon up an immortal, invincible Army of the Dead. They're ghost – zombie things, but they kill. AND THE CAULDRON BLEEDS AND POURS OUT GREEN SLIME FOG AND A HORDE BURST FORTH!! And it's dark, scary and amazing. As is the climax; the denoument is iffy, but _The Black Cauldron_ is the first of five books, so it's understandable.

The artwork and animation is ominous and gothic, not to mention Celtic in some aspects. The dragons are gwythents, there're some allusions to Celtic mythology and their languages too, so it's quite awesome. As is the destruction of the castle.

Oh yeah, this film was _Disney_'s first PG rated animated film. It contained drunkeness, copious amounts of ale and food and sloth, a dancing girl (see, it's not just _Basil_ that has strippers!), graphic abuse of a minion, a scarier than normal villain and horde, and graphic deaths. If you've seen _Anastasia_ by 20th Century Fox I believe, you know the scene where Rasputin dies – the second time – think that, but worse: dissolving flesh, agonising screams and hellish sounds and explosions. Cool, but a lot darker than an ordinary _Disney_ film.


	29. Headlong

A/N: And we return to the joys of Queenuyasha! By any god you care to invoke, I've been as sick as a dog for several days. Urgh, I was shivering in fever for most of yesterday, but fortunately I seem to have sweated out the majority of my illness. Now I just have a stinking cold.

This is stepping into new waters again, as I've never done anything like this, what with the warnings and the highly diluted 'lime'. It's more like lime tinted water actually. I hope you enjoy this, comments are especially relished for this story.

* * *

**Pairing:** Naraku/Kagura/Sesshoumaru  
**Genre:** General/Romance  
**Universe:** Canon  
**Warnings:** . . . incest . . ? Non – consensual and swearing. And slightly twisted canon

**Word count:** 2 703

**Headlong**

_And you're rushing headlong you've got a new goal  
And you're rushing headlong out of control  
And you think you're so strong  
But there ain't no stopping  
And there's nothin' you can do about it  
Nothin' you can do, no there's nothin' you can do about it  
No there's nothin' you can, nothin' you can, nothin' you can  
Do about it_

Kagura clearly remembered being born, the slick feel of flesh sliding over her sweat sticky body as she was pushed into the cold day. She clearly remembered looking around her with wide infant eyes in her fully developed body seeking her family. She clearly remembered her father's soft voice saying, "Welcome Kagura my child." And the overwhelming feeling of devotion, love and _obedience_ that filled her at his voice. "Here Kagura, you can put your clothes on after your bath, and I have a present for you too."

Truth be told, even less than an hour old she felt curious as to how she knew what everything was, but she put it down to her wonderful father and his care for her. And his present! It was as if it belonged to her from the first, the fan sang and beckoned her with its glossy folds. Taking it in her hands she nearly staggered, a frenzy of knowledge surged into her. She knew the dances, the words, the . . . some things were sealed away. "Father, why can I not access some of what I feel?"

"Some will come to you as you mature my dear, and others you'll learn at the right time. Trust in me Kagura.

"And to give you a reason to trust me I now tell you this: some evil youkai and humans want to kill me, in fact, some of them have even stolen shards of my jewel, the Shikon no Tama. Two rest inside the body of the wolf prince, Kouga. If I bring him to you, at the very risk of my own life, will you kill him and his followers?"

Not hesitating for a moment she replied "Yes."

Killing those weak wolves had been so easy, her powers just flowed into and through her and out the fan and destroying those who dared conspire to kill her beloved father. And the prince himself? It was so fun seeing his face contort with anger and fear as his own family attacked him. It served him right.

The other hanyou though, he posed a problem. She failed her beloved father, but he forgave her. "Kagura, I know you tried your hardest, and you're barely four days old. It's okay, now come here my dear." Timorously she approached, feeling that he would punish her anyway, but his strong fingers grabbed her downcast face and tilted it up so she could look at him. Softly he gave her a light kiss on the cheek, it was then that she felt a reaffirmation of his love for her, and how much she was devoted to him.

She would do anything to save her father. It was a promise she vowed to keep for always.

_And you're rushing headlong you've got a new goal  
And you're rushing headlong out of control  
And you think you're so strong  
But there ain't no stopping, no there's nothin' you can do  
About it  
Yeah_

Kagura realised that Father was becoming more and more intimate with her. She felt rills of nervousness run through her, but she tolerated it, she'd never done such a thing before, but Father had. He knew best what to do, there was nothing wrong in it anyway, He explained it to her, "Though I birthed you my darling, it doesn't matter because youkai see nothing wrong with familial relationships. Trust me Kagura, trust your Father."

" . . . Yes . . . " She kept her face calm and loving even though inside something felt strange, not bodily, but there was a humming in her mind; it was deep down, like it was under enormous pressure and breaking. If it broke something would change, she had to run. "Father, may I go and soar the winds?"

Father frowned, "I don't really want you to dear, but you've been _very_ good, so I'll let you fly. But be back soon."

"Thank you Father!" She smiled at him, ran to the window and leapt out onto her feather and relaxed utterly, an unrecognised tension flowing out of her. She had only lived eleven days, everything around her was new, but she knew it. How? "Father can't know everything." It must be the wind, after all, if she had such perfect command over it, she should know some of what the wind knew. Right?

And if she was meant to be with Father, then why did she feel truly content away from him, why did it feel right? It was nearly sunset, time to go back to Father. Shaking her head she dismissed her uneasiness and it seemed to dispel into right into the wind. To make sure the feelings never came back she summoned the strongest winds she could and cast them far, far beyond the horizon into the great ocean to the east of her.

_Hey, he used to be a man with a stick in his hand  
Hoop diddy diddy - hoop diddy do  
She used to be a woman with a hot dog stand  
Hoop diddy diddy - hoop diddy do  
Now you've got soup in the laundry bag  
Now you've got strings you're gonna lose your rag  
You're getting' in a fight  
Then it ain't so groovy when you're screaming in the night  
Let me out of this cheap B movie_

"I've returned Father." She announced as she entered his room where he'd requested her to meet him. He was sat facing the wall, but he turned to look at her when she announced herself. He said not a word, but walked over to her and shut the door firmly behind her.

He took her hand and lead her over to the small stack of cushions that he'd been sitting on and settled her down on them so she was facing him. Still looking at him with innocence and devotion she smiled a little uncertainly. "Father, wh – " He cut her off with a searing kiss. His lips forced hers open violently and his tongue plunged eagerly into her mouth. Kagura didn't know how to respond, she remained passive, but her red eyes were screaming terror. Father . . . knew best. Right?

It felt wrong. His tongue was too thick and slimy, it wasn't right. Father had never done this before, but in her heart Kagura knew it wouldn't feel that way with the right person. Father was wrong! Murmuring a wordless protest she tried to pull away, but he slid an arm around her and held her firm.

She tried to close her mouth, thinking that Father thought she was encouraging him, but at the faintest bit of pressure from her lips a threatening growl reverberated in his chest and his tongue thickened impossibly. It forced its way deeper and deeper into her mouth, almost disappearing down her throat. Naraku was trying to kill her! Suffocate her! Her panic only served to arouse him further as he slid his free hand into her kimono and began fondling and ripping at her flesh and her breasts.

She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move, Naraku was hurting her and she couldn't fight back. Spiralling into hysteria the humming noise in her mind grew and multiplied the more she fought back.

It broke.

_She was conducting a field of grass like a _corps de ballet_, each blade bowing and pirouetting to her commands and her music – _

_Fury shrieked over the land uprooting mighty trees and destroying human livelihoods. She screamed her anger into her winds and the tempest obliterated ships in the seas. Those who angered her would pay! – _

_Consolingly, compassionate for the weeping child she sang gently and coaxed the trees into loosing a shower of cherry blossoms to make the child lose its fear. Then she sent the infant's sent towards the tamed dogs searching for the beloved lost one with its parents. Their joy made her so happy that she laughed, the trees of the wood bobbing their heads along with her. – _

_Freedom – _

_Going wherever she wished – _

_Wind – _

_Free – _

_Anywhere she wished – _

Free to do what she wanted –

The wind blinked her eyes and recalled her capture. The wind incarnate look with undisguised hatred at the bastard who had her. A hurricane blast from her hands hurtled him into the wall to a glorious symphony of cracking bones.

"Never! I will _never_ submit to you again. I am _free_." She made to leave, to rid herself of the vile one who had formed her in the beautiful prison body, but a literal heart breaking burning pain crushed down into her chest, leaving her curled up foetally and whimpering shrieks of agony into the floor. "From my body you were made, into my body you may be absorbed at any time. But that's too easy my sweet one. Far less painful and I'll be left lacking another child. Your heart is mine. Do anything I forbid or too slowly, _dare_ to resist my, and I will kill you. "

"Better . . . to die myself – " she gasped out as she forced herself to open her fan.

"You cannot die unless I will it, surely you did not think you survived the hanyou's _Kaze no Kizu_ because you were stronger than he? Even weakened as he was, you are _far_ weaker than he. There's no heart for you to aim at, there has never been a heart for anyone to aim at. You have immortality, and all it cost was a paltry thing called freedom."

She would not be weak before this _demon_. She stood shakily and glared at him. "I will see you dead."

"Oh, but Kagura, how can you see in the dark?" He blew out the candles and slithered over to her. No! She tried to run, but one more squeeze of her heart had her lying on the floor crying silently. He came ever closer and bent to slide her kimono off her back as she was paralysed with unfathomable agony. Tracing one cool hand over the filthy scar on her back he whispered into her ears, "You aren't my beloved, but you have been marked as mine, so I will have you."

She only screamed once before he left her bleeding on the floor crying.

The humans who failed to respect her warnings weakened, starved, gazing with stricken eyes at their pot bellied, shrivelled children as they lay dying of famine. Those who defied the wind would pay eventually –

"I won't be broken. I won't. I want freedom. I am not weak and I will take my freedom." She whispered into the isolating darkness.

_When a red hot man meets a white hot lady  
Hoop diddy diddy - hoop diddy do  
Soon the fire starts raging gets you more than half crazy  
Hoop diddy diddy - hoop diddy do  
Now they start freaking everywhere you turn  
You can't start walking cause your feet got burned  
It ain't no time to figure wrong from right  
Cause reasons out of the window better hold on tight_

Having escaped momentarily, she was just floating and using the malleable wind to pick up gossip and scents from miles and miles away. There had to be something that would help her destroy that asshole, "Odd, a girl child standing unafraid in . . . "

Hopping from zephyr to zephyr, taking her time tracking down the slowly moving scent that had caught her interest she saw in the distance a glowing white figure. "A white daiyoukai?"

Even from here she could feel his unfettered powers and instinctively knew it wasn't even a tenth of his true powers. Not even daring to approach him just yet, the winds did her bidding and brought their words to her. " – aru – sama, Jaken – sama said you were going to eat Rin if she was bad. Rin said that Sesshoumaru – sama wouldn't eat humans, but he said you did. Do you?" Was Sesshoumaru the white figure or another one? And why was a little human talking so candidly to a daiyoukai?

The white figure turned to someone she couldn't see and a screeching scream was carried to her ears. "Jaken," Ah, so the white figure was Sesshoumaru, "Do not fill Rin's head with lies. This Sesshoumaru does not eat humans." His faint voice was deep and sounded so pleasant to her after the insidious voice of Naraku and the coarse human voices.

What did he look like? Chancing another approach she drifted slower and higher towards him trusting the wind to hide her from him, the human and whatever this Jaken person was. There was a red flower pattern emblazoned on his clothing, armour, his hair was a coruscating silver white in the sun and his face was pale. "Oh my," Kagura whispered. He was handsome indeed. She narrowed her eyes. What were those marks on his face? Scars? Getting into a better position she saw there were highborn markings on his face. Two stripes on each cheek, "Son of two daiyoukai?" She said, awed. And there was a crescent moon on his forehead.

He turned his face upward and he looked at her. His eyes were gold and shining impossibly in the sunlight.

She fled. He'd found her. Even with everything against him. If only she could convince this handsome daiyoukai to help her. He could kill Naraku, she knew it.

_You're rushing headlong  
Headlong out of control - yeah  
And you think you're so strong  
But there ain't no stopping  
And there's nothin' you, nothin' you, nothin' you can do about  
It at all_

How could Sesshoumaru have found her? If they'd even met each other she'd put it down to that as an inu daiyoukai seldom forgot a scent. But that was the first time she'd seen him. She found herself welling on that more and more as the days of slavery and . . . other things passed. Heh, she had a desire to know someone she'd only ever looked at once. How foolish. She still sought him out vainly, maybe another look would cure her of this fascination and she would be able to talk to this youkai about an alliance.

Until then she listened to the wind for any trace of this Sesshoumaru be it gossip or something said by his peculiar group. She still didn't know what this 'Jaken' person was; and there was _still_ that human to think about! Was she actually a hanyou child who was predominantly human? If so was she his? No. She didn't call him Father. And unless there was an extremely powerful masking spell on her even a mild youkai scent would ring clear through the human. So she was completely human.

So _why_ was a daiyoukai apparently caring for a human child?

Against her will she became more and more intrigued with him. She couldn't help herself. At least he was very pretty.

_And you're rushing headlong down the highway  
And you're rushing headlong out of control  
And you think you're so strong  
But there ain't no stopping  
There's nothin', nothin', nothin', you can do about it_

Hope it seemed, went against all evidence to the contrary. Despite all their encounters, despite the fact that she kidnapped his Rin she had faith in him. He would kill Naraku absolutely. And perhaps his strange reluctance to kill her and that there was nothing to redeem her actions meant that he reciprocated her fascination. Shame it was too late; she loved him. She didn't know if he did, how could they even love each other? Scarcely know one another? For every ten words she spoke he spoke one!

And still he didn't kill her.

"Hope really does go against all evidence." All she had to cling to was that he infrequently sought her out even when she was nowhere near him.

"This Sesshoumaru agrees."

"Yo, Sesshoumaru."

* * *

I consider it strange that this is probably my longest (one shot) story considering all my untried material here. On thinking about it, I shouldn't be all that surprised should I? And I've also concluded that my writing seems to lengthen when I write shading - to - dark or tragic stories. Think of that what you will.

I know this probably isn't exact canon, but I've been ill for the last few days and couldn't be bothered to read through all five hundred odd chapters for every time Sesshoumaru and Kagura met, not to mention their first 'in - story' meeting. Plus I can't remember whether or not Kagura's birth was shown or not, so here's my thoughts on how it happened.

And now for a moan. Why don't lyric sites put punctuation in? We're not stupid. We know what punctuation is, it won't _scare_ us away, in fact, it'll encourage more people to freqent your site because it looks better. I like punctuation, I don't know about the readers, but I feel it makes the work look better and much more legible. And it's so annoying having to edit in every last apostrophe.

Oh well. Here's hoping it was a good story, I'm not sure which song goes up next. But I may take requests. Eventually.


	30. 39

**A/N:** I like this song very much. It's a little gem I discovered on the album _A Night At The Opera_ which was released in 1975. It's a very bouncy little song, written and performed almost entirely by Brian May, the rest only show up to do some harmonies in the chorus. It's also a sci – fi song. SO let's see what I can do with it.

This is a bit of an experiment in form (blame my reading of the epics) so it'll be less polished (perhaps) than other stories, so let me know what you think, 'kay?

* * *

**Pairing:** Inuyasha/Kagome  
**Genre:** Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Heartbreak/'Poetry'/Introspection  
**Universe:** Canon/AU. No, canon. No, AU! No! Canon divergent.  
**Warnings:** None, even thouh it contains Inuyasha. Who'd have thought?

**Word count:** 1 776

'**39**

Hear my tale, O little ones, of the heroes of an age past; aye, and of villains too. Hear me tell of the love that spawned a great evil and how that evil was ended by another greater love.

Evil! Is there anything more pervading? Evil comes in many forms after all, and the most insidious is that which we do not see. But there is also love. Love is that which is seen and never seen. And this, O listeners, is power. May the Gods bless me as I recount my tale.

_In the year of thirty-nine  
Assembled here the volunteers  
In the days when lands were few  
Here the ship sailed out into the blue and sunny morn  
The sweetest sight ever seen.  
And the night followed day  
And the story tellers say,  
That the score brave souls inside  
For many a lonely day  
Sailed across the milky seas  
Ne'er looked back, never feared, never cried._

The Sengoku Jidai was a scary place. Scarier now that Naraku was scheming and plotting his way through the destruction of human and youkai society and stringing conflicts together, enmeshing those at the centre of each one in a morass of thread from which they could not escape alone.

The miko and the hanyou and the miko, each at their own centre and all three merge to create an inexplicable power greater than gravity. Fate perhaps. To them and around them are the brave ones who step forward or are pulled knowingly into orbit around their strife and triumphs. All seek revenge.

So from human child to diayoukai, along with their temporary allies – numbering less than a score total – set forth to destroy the self – made evil that was Naraku from eradicating the world.

Day and night followed without pause as the questers sought their enemies. Seasons fell and rose with precision, but alas, there was a malformation nonetheless with the passage of time.

One thousand years before now there was no Shikon no Tama. There was a great miko – a green child whose purity was such that it polarised the youkai. The weak and the greedy sought to devour her, to take within her power and to kill the threat. The miko Midoriko fought endlessly, and at the last her great purity and the youkais' great evil neutralised each other into death and the Shikon no Tama.

Six hundred and fifty years before this telling an inuhanyou sought out the current Guardian of the Tama. A powerful and benevolent miko called Kikyou. The hanyou wished to take the Tama, but he and the miko fell in love; eventually the two decided that the hanyou would become human, the miko would give up her powers and they would live in love and harmony.

The despicable human bandit chief Onigumo though, tended into a semblance of health by the compassionate Guardian of the Tama lusted after the woman and her beauty. So he made a deal with the Dark Tempters; the whisperers in the dark of the edges of human settlements; the weak and cowardly who come in droves, and he gave unto them his soul for the purging of all benevolence and became a half – thing. Unnatural in form and thought. The unnatural hanyou called Naraku.

This is all well known, but where the tale corrupts is that the miko who was killed by Naraku for jealousy and lust and the silver'd inuhanyou Inuyasha who was sealed into death for fifty years were not true lovers. Nor was the first miko the second. One hundred years ago the second miko was born: the Collector and Purifier of the Tama. On her fifteenth birthday the well opened and she went back five hundred years to awaken the heroic inuyhanyou Inuyasha. So was the cause Midoriko, or Naraku, or the birth of the second miko for travelling back?

_Don't you hear my call  
'Though you're many years away?  
Don't you hear me calling you?  
Write your letters in the sand  
For the day I'll take your hand  
In the land that our grand-children knew_

And the Purifier of the Tama needed to live in both her times or her heart would weaken into brittle chalk. But when her heart was fortified by the magics in her first time it glowed with a strength nigh unmatched. And to them came the Taijya, the Monk, the Kit, and the Neko.

So to her home down the mystical Well of Bones bearing the concentrated youki of thousands of youkai, down the well she went, into the dark blue shimmerings across time itself journey through countless years to find her soft solace of a loving family.

Golden – eyed Inuyasha, not knowing of her hidden weakness, nor recalling the love of a family oftentimes came a – seeking his love (for he knew then that Kikyou was gone and forgotten even if a polluted miko had brought her grave dust into a semblance of Kikyou; and he knew, too, more than anything else, that his heart yearned for his love) to dull the pain.

He called to her, and yet she heard not. Nor did the young miko child see the signs that others recognised as his love for her. She only saw him as abusing her powers to make his wishes true. Kagome the Purifier loved the silver'd hanyou truly, but her sight was clouded by the parasitical miko Kikyou who lived by theft. How could the golden – eyed Inuyasha love her when the Gaurdian miko walked?

The purifier tried in vain to show the protecting silver'd one the truth; to teach him the letters of both times that squared themselves systematically and gracefully in rows along soft parchment so he would read her words of love. He did not learn. She tried tests of time, patiently scratching hiragana into the Goshinboku so their names would live forever and beyond. But they were scarred out by the passing of years and humanity's ever – expanding presence. She took it as a sign they were not to be, for all they held hands and love chastely in her land where the descendants of her friends lived and prospered.

And so the miko who failed in guarding, the hanyou who joyed in protecting and the miko whose goal was to purify her mistake were caught in an endless tidal pool of loves unrecognised and needed.

The tale of the defeat of the unnatural one is one sung and read in the shadowed night while we huddle by the fire glancing again and again into the summoning darkness. I tell you not this story, but the one behind it. And now let us now the end after the end so that we may remember and tell it over and over, so they may never die.

_In the year of thirty-nine  
Came a ship in from the blue  
The volunteers came home that day  
And they bring good news  
Of a world so newly born  
Though their hearts so heavily weigh  
For the earth is old and grey  
little darlin' well away  
But my love this cannot be,  
Oh so many years have gone  
Though I'm older but a year  
Your mother's eyes from your eyes cry to me_

With the death of the Tama came greatest sorrow. The second miko had given her life in her second home to save them all and remove the Shikon no Tama's malevolent sentience from the world eternally. Inuyasha, the heroic silver hanyou was bereft of his heart mate, Kagome; saviour of an age was bereft of her heart mate and her new family.

Without the other the world faded away. Monotony and routine became the life they lived. Awaking _not _to rosy fingered dawns with love, but the grey blanket of unrelenting clouds. Tell me, you who are listening with open eyes and a sympathetic heart, how would it feel to lose half your soul, to know that they still live, but that they will be dead 'ere you make it to their home?

Inuyasha, he who knew his heart's love off by heart saw all around fragments and pieces of his shattered love. Eyes in a laughing child, they were Kagome's; perhaps that was where her eyes came from. The arrogance of the educated flowed all around him: the monk, the taijya, his idiot brother and his human girl, Kaede.

All was her. She was all, even without him.

Nothing was he. He was nothing without her.

_Don't you hear my call  
Though you're many years away?  
Don't you hear me calling you?  
All your letters in the sand  
Cannot heal me like your hand  
For my life, still ahead, pity me.  
_

With the cessation of the Shikon came greatest sorrow. The silver'd hanyou had given his love to save her, and then had been unjustly punished by her return to her first time. The purifier knew it was good and right that the unthinking hatred of the Shikon no Tama was eternally gone; but could it truly be worth the price of her happiness and her love? Noone was as happy as they should have been. Kagome, the compassionate purifier was dragged away from her soul mate, Inuyasha; saviour of an age was bereft of his soul mate and his new family that was hers firstly.

Dragged she was into ordinariness and the routine of school and idle fun. It paled before the sun – gilded Inuyasha with moonlight hair. It withered before the intensity of an age where every day was a battle and a gift from the great Gods above. How could she go out into the sun without seeing the concerned eyes of the Protector? How could she look at the moon? How could she even look at the Goshinboku when every memory she had of Inuyasha was permanently bound to the tree where he had slept 'til she woke him, the tree where he had watched Sentinel – like to save what she loved even if he didn't?

All was he. He was all, even without her.

Nothing was she. She was nothing without him.

After all, she was only human, and humans are like the passing of seasons: unnoticed.

May the Gods bless them, who are separated by that which brought them together – ah, yes, there is more. But every end is a beginning, and I tell no beginnings. Only ends and stilled moments. Maybe the morrow will begin with the beginning. But now, the end is all.

May the Gods bless them, who are separated by that which brought them together, and may all who hear their pitious tale be moved into remembering their great sacrifice.

* * *

**Post story A/N:** I blame this entirely on reading my course books on literary theory and my recent rereading of several epic poems, and other long poems which aren't epic.

This was an experiment in form, I hope it turned out well for you. If not, why? And don't worry, we'll be back to 'normal' Artemis soon enough. :P


	31. Fat Bottomed Girls

A/N: Yep, I know the story behind this one too; but it's perfect for a certain couple.

* * *

**Pairing:** Sango/Miroku  
**Genre:** Humour/Romance  
**Universe:** Canon  
**Warnings:** Miroku

**Word count:** 675

**Fat Bottomed Girls**

_AAAAHH, you gonna take me home tonight?  
AAAAHH, down beside that red firelight;  
are you gonna let it all hang out?  
Fat bottomed girls,  
You make the rockin' world go round._

"Oh, darlingest Sango, why do you flinch away from me whenever I approach you? All I seek is some company on this dark and lonely night. Inuyasha and Kagome are away, and with them Shippou and Karara.

"It's just me and you."

"_That's_ what I'm worried about." She retorted angrily, reaching behind her to set up Hiraikotsu as a literal barrier between her and Miroku.

"But who knows when we'll next have the opportunity to be alone together at night, just the two of us, _no_ interruptions." He gave his most charming smile, but the sparkle in his eyes spoke all too clearly of lechery.

So again the monk was deprived of his desire.

_Hey  
I was just a skinny lad  
Never knew no good from bad,  
But I knew love before I left my nursery,  
Left alone with big fat Fanny,  
She was such a naughty nanny!  
Hey big woman you made a bad boy out of me!  
Hey hey!_

Miroku was a monk with unmonkly habits. He put three reasons forward to explain his . . . happy go lucky attitude: Mushin, the irascible drunk; his curse; and finally, the one he didn't dare admit: he just liked girls.

Mushin had taught him how to appreciate the beauty of a woman's form, and Father, what he remembered of him, had always stressed the importance of having a son to carry on their line and to break Naraku's curse. Urgency was a part of him, and it . . . made him not exactly perfect; but certainly perfect enough for his darling Sango!

What was wrong with propositioning some other women when Sango knew he cared for her and loved her. It was routine now, and Sango loved routine. And she did enjoy his touches, otherwise he would be crippled or dead! Simple as that. And all she had to do was say, "No more Miroku." And he'd stop whatever it was that had upset her.

_I've been singing with my band  
Across the water, across the land,  
I seen ev'ry blue eyed floozy on the way, hey  
But their beauty and their style  
Wear kind of smooth after a while.  
Take me to them lardy ladies every time!  
_

He'd travelled the country and had even seen several soft beauties from the mainland with their strange headdresses and attitudes. Once even a pale haired exotic woman from a far away land and a stranger language!

Ah, but they were all the same. Black hair, dark brown, docile eyes, personalities that seemed scarcely to vary no matter whether he was in the farthest north or the deepest south; they were soft and for the most part gentle. Many of them had wide, safe child bearing hips and plump curves; but again and again, no matter whether there was a willing woman he always found himself moving on before he could fulfil his promised proposition.

When he'd first seen her that was his first vision of bodily perfection. Those shapely muscular legs and her lithe, slim body. And her bottom filled out her taijya uniform so temptingly, much better than those kimono wearing women. That tight suit made her rear all the more noticeable as it wiggled side to side.

_(C'mon)  
Oh won't you take me home tonight?  
Oh down beside your red firelight,  
Oh and you give it all you got  
Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round  
Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round_

And then what had been a mere physical attraction became more, he was even pretty sure Sango loved him back. And yet, "Sango my love, let me sit next to you, it's cold tonight and we need all the warmth we can get."

"I'd rather risk the cold."

Ouch.

But with urgency came patience and perseverance. Eventually he and Sango would get married.

* * *

**A/N**: It's okay this. Not fantastic, and I feel I should do a Miroku/Sango from her point of view.


	32. It's A Kind of Magic

A/N: I saw this song and I thought of this scenario. I like this song a lot, and it has a freaky video; I suppose this is a Queen classic, so enjoy.

* * *

**Pairing:** Midoriko/Magatsuhi  
**Genre:** Adventure  
**Universe:** Canon  
**Warnings:** None

**Word count:** 1 665

**It's A Kind Of Magic**

_It's a kind of magic  
It's a kind of magic  
A kind of magic  
One dream one soul one prize one goal  
One golden glance of what should be_

Midoriko – sama was revered and feared all across Japan. Such pure, untainted power in such a small body. She was a literal gift from the gods to the villages she helped in her endless nomadic travels; healing their sick and defending their village. Her charms and wards were so potent they were protected for seasons! And all she ever asked was a roof over her head and what food they could spare.

Midoriko – sama was the epitome of a selfless miko. Compassionate, selfless, good and pure and strong.

Midoriko – sama was the most terrifying human in the lands. Where she walked youkai, countless numbers of small lower – classed youkai trailed in her wake, ever rising and growing as they devoured one another in their cold lust for what lay within Midoriko. The most powerful of the swarm would devour the miko's golden soul and become like a daiyoukai.

So, fearing for the people she loved, the miko became a roving warrior and rested but little. She knew what was to happen, it was inevitable. One day, one day soon, she would be overwhelmed by a pulsating wave of filth and she would be irreparably harmed. Unable to leave.

_It's a kind of magic  
One shaft of light that shows the way  
No mortal man can win this day  
It's a kind of magic  
The bell that rings inside your mind  
Is challenging the doors of time  
It's a kind of magic_

They came!

Hundred upon hundreds! Near one thousand in the greatest gathering she knew of – not even in the depths of history did such a thing happen – and she was too close to humanity!

There was a village nearby. So she turned and ran, there was a cave system close, their great numbers would mean nothing in such tight surroundings, but they wouldn't give up to feed on easier prey. Not when the feast was so close.

Grasses whipped at her legs through her hakama and loose scree sent her tumbling more than once, slowing her, breaking her stride and loosing her blood. The approaching youkai, still barely more than a dark writhing cloud in the distance exploded in a epileptic motion before moving ever faster, more inexorably towards the fleeing woman.

She needed more time, drawing an arrow from her quiver she begged, "Fly true, swift one, fly true." To her dwindling supply before rapidly launching them one after another, white blasts of lightening into the darkness dwarfing the forest. The light itself lost its brilliance before the coming storm and glowed luridly, illuminating the fearsome red and yellow eyes and bright teeth and fangs making the hoard appear as if decorated by flitting fireflies.

Midoriko felt the cold grasp of fear on her soul, but she refused to surrender. Spending her last arrow on the left flank, the flank closest to the village and most likely to accidentally harm the last fleeing innocents, she fled into the darkness of the cavern praying to every god she knew that they would follow her in.

"Let no more be harmed because of me." Midoriko whimpered into a stalagmite she'd ran into. Her head rang from the impact with the tolling of a Shinto bell. Her family, her village, her friends, the people she'd met, no more. "Please," the agonised word tore through the dense, choking atmosphere and burned through her barriers.

She was not courageous! She didn't love! She had no friends! She was not wise!

She had a minute more; she could end this before they came. Leave them to wreak their fury on the nearby village. It was all so easy, slip off the armour and drive the sharp sword into her body.

So easy . . .

Her hands drifted up to the bindings and she fumbled mechanically at the clasps.

So easy . . .

It came in a clarion. Proud and alone, shouting back the silence.

The surge of her self – confidence – the very core of her self rising into the chasm left by the poisonous terror.

Her hands stilled deadly. Forming into fists as she felt blindly at what she half recognised. "Youkai . . . " She hissed.

"Magatsuhi." A dark and pale thing, a mish – mash of strength and subtlety smoothly entered her vision as she turned to face the entrance. "It is I who will take you miko. I will have you. All your allure, that purity, the power.

"I shall make you mine."

"You will never take me youkai." She drew her sword, finest folded steel and blessed sword, her faithful sword and attacked.

Hundreds of youkai she slew in those narrow halls as she battled for her very soul against the numerous frail youkai under Magatsuhi's sway, wounded again and again, she felt her strength bleed out even as some few blood drinkers grew in strength from lapping at her fallen blood.

Again and again she caved in the tunnels, the screams of youkai being crushed to death soared in her ears like the sweetest bell as it brought her seconds of rest, to ease her fiery wrist and the draw pure air into her seizing lungs.

Again and again Magatsuhi himself stood at the edges of the battle assessing her strength, waiting, taking into himself the strongest and cleverest of the youkai she fought. Growing in stature, in powers, his eyes speared her over and over.

Again and again, the endless tide of youkai lessened as the wisest fled, choosing life rather than certain death against the miko with boundless resolve and the conglomerate youkai who grasped those who would kill her.

Tired beyond understanding, she faced at last the few youkai left. Body quivering as an aspen leaf in the breeze and marked by the claws and fangs of the youkai. A bloody prophecy written on her body.

"Coward, come." Raising her sword for the last time, she drew everything she was deep, deep into her self and bound up with her living soul. No. She would _not_ let this youkai take away the friends and loves of the people she cared for.

Better to lose one than all.

She ran, slowly, but with all the inexorable power of a glacier eroding away the earth; slowly, and with unstoppable force.

The sword, faithful companion, easily impaled itself onto Magatsuhi. Just as easily as Magatsuhi impaled her through the chest with his adamantine claws.

She smiled wearily and loosed all. It burst forth like a supernova before collapsing inward and drawing all down into the darkness.

_She_ would never be free, frozen forever in unending battle rather than attain the afterlife; but _it_, it would never be freed to bring harm to those who meant none.

_The waiting seems eternity  
The day will dawn of sanity  
Is this a kind of magic  
It's a kind of magic  
There can be only one  
This rage that lasts a thousand years  
Will soon be done_

Dark. Dark was brightest day compared to the infinite sucking nothingness of the World. She found her self split into four, each lesser than the whole, but powerful. Each needing to be whole, but needed more to hold back the filth seeking to stain utterly the nothingness of the World.

Ceaselessly fighting through the none – time she wounded as often as she herself was wounded. And the wounds lessened her more as she was split.

But to her was granted a small token. The World – the jewel – they were sealed in was protected and guarded by the most powerful of mikos, and this meant she was always in ascendancy; barely triumphing over the black that tried to stain her white.

One would make a selfless wish one day.

_This flame that burns inside of me  
I'm here in secret harmonies  
It's a kind of magic  
The bell that rings inside your mind  
Is challenging the doors of time  
It's a kind of magic  
It's a kind of magic  
The rage that lasts a thousand years  
Will soon be will soon be  
Will soon be done  
This is a kind of magic_

And with the hope calmly resting in her breast she battled on where all others would have failed.

Hours, weeks, millennia, days, centuries, years later she felt the clarion chorus once again. The World was passing through _time itself_ and with no time there was no battle and with a forced end there was rest.

It would not be long. It would not. The World would end soon, for good or for evil. And all around her, she was drawing strength from a powerful miko. Drawing more than she had ever before. She was so tired now.

Tiring, tiring, but the end was coming. The World knew it, could feel it. It had never been so peaceable before; the youkai's fury was lessened to that of a bloodlust. She could handle this.

"Not long now." Hope soared and sang.

_There can be only one  
This rage that lasts a thousand years  
Will soon be done-done  
Magic – it's a kind of magic  
Its' a kind of magic__  
_

Magatsuhi was gone! Gone from the World! Freed into Japan! And the possessor of the World was killing her with his all twisting venom.

The end was coming, and she wilted inside, losing her self to despondency.

Hope was a dirge.

_It's a kind of magic_

Magatsuhi was dead! Now all that remained was for the miko to remove the taint and free her.

It was all up to the miko Midoriko knew not. And Midoriko, greatest miko the world had ever seen had nothing but complete faith in her.

She would win, and do the right thing: end the World. And with it she could rest.

_Magic, magic, magic_

Freedom.

"So this is what it's like to be free."

And Midoriko left.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm proud of this one! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.


	33. White Queen

**A/N:** And welcome to yet another Artemis experiment, this time with a pairing which I _absolutely cannot _stand. It makes no sense to me at all, even if I find that a lot of exceptional stories utilise the pairing – all the more demonstrating the talent of the authors. I understand the appeal it has to many authors and readers, but I don't like it (even if there are amazing stories surrounding it which I love) and don't think I ever will. Yes, I can see where the canon could be shown to support such a pairing despite the blatant evidence to the contrary; but it's not as if my favourite pairing's any more canon than this one. So take what you want, write what you want. I might not like it, but you do, and that's what matters.

So I decided to give writing it a shot. Artemis has been touched by the moon.

* * *

**Pairing:** Sesshoumaru/Kagome  
**Genre:** Angst/Friendship/Romance  
**Universe:** Canon  
**Warnings:** None

**Word count:** 1 909

**White Queen (As It Began)**

_So sad her eyes, smiling dark eyes  
So sad her eyes as it began  
On such a breathless night as this  
Upon my brow the lightest kiss  
I walked alone  
And all around the air did SAY_

Again, she was huddled against the cruelties of his idiot brother, crying her distress. It irritated him and his sense of smell. How dare she act like this in his presence, treating him as an insignificance? Humans truly were weak and overly emotional. And, in the case of this miko, rather stupid.

She was also lying in the middle of the path he was on, scandalously exposed in her whorish kimono. Pathetic. But he would not stop, nor swerve his steady walk around her as if she deserved such an honour, so he stepped over her his attention already focused on his destination: making sure Rin, Ah – Un and Jaken were safe in camp.

His nostrils flared; the miko _stank_ worse than ever. What were those grating smells, they were unreal, pretend. How could his little brother stand it, even with his weaker senses? Eager to get away, he started to hasten his steps, but a small, easily breakable hand gripped onto his hakama and whimpered, "Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru halted. Perhaps the miko was damaged in the head, or was she suicidal?

"Remove yourself from this Sesshoumaru's person." Despite his chill tone the hand tightened its grip before pulling harder. The miko was using him to help her stand. Presumably, whatever the hanyou had done this time had irreparably damaged her instincts. Fortunately for her, she let go when she had made it to her knees. She was almost subservient, finally she was recognising him as her superior. "Please," she begged, eyes on the floor, "Don't leave me."

"Do not expect pity for your own misfallings miko." Did she really expect aid? If so she was a fool. However, she could remove Naraku's taint from that foolish jewel, it would be more tactically sound to ensure that she lived. The dead miko was even more repellent than this one.

Sighing internally, he waited.

"Inuyasha, he – "she broke off and Sesshoumaru knew it had to do with the dead miko. Love. Why were humans so concerned with it? Father and Mother felt affection for one another, and love; but they were able to control such feelings. But Inuyasha was doubly a fool for loving a dead miko; the dead were not to be loved. "He went with Kikyou again. He left me behind."

And? "I tried to follow, but he was too fast; and now I'm lost and I don't know where my friends are." By all the gods, Rin wasn't this helpless or foolish.

Sesshoumaru could smell his brother's group to the south – east, just on the edges of the wood; the miko had been going to the west before she gave up. His voice threatening he said, "Miko," and waited for her to look up at him.

She looked up slowly, and he was struck by how dark her eyes were. As if that strange human spark – hope? Love? Life? – had gone out of them. Her self – pitying sadness annoyed him. He lifted his arm and pointed in the direction of her more suitable companions. The miko looked vainly into the darkness and said, "They're in that direction." He didn't reply, but let his steady arm answer for him.

Unsteadily she got to her feet and then she did something outrageous. She not only touched his hand, but she kissed it. "Thank you Sesshoumaru." Then she walked away, trusting in his honour to get her home.

He was left staring aghast at his hand. He stunk of that miko, he could still feel the sweaty touch of her hand in his; the sticky feel of her lips on his skin. Now he needed to wash his clothes _and_ bathe. 'Impertinent miko.' Turning from his path he walked to the nearest water source, she was lucky he was in a remarkably good mood.

_My lady soon will stir this way  
In sorrow known  
The white queen walks  
And the night grows pale  
Stars of lovingness in her hair  
Heeding unheard pleading, one word  
So sad, my eyes she cannot see  
_

The moon waxed and waned with an enviable regularity, and Sesshoumaru found himself thinking of that miko one night as he stood watching the moonfall. It was because he and his brother had made camp very close together; it was just on the edge of the hanyou's sense of smell.

The hanyou had run past their camp a little earlier, chasing the wraiths that obeyed the dead miko. Not that he had cared, but it had started Jaken off, so Sesshoumaru sought the quiet of a nearby field. The wind changed, and he found himself surrounded by the smell of Inuyasha's group.

The miko was sad again, bone deep sorrow. She really should learn to control her emotions or they would result in her death. A light furrow emerged between his brows as he decided it would be best to ensure that she lived until that black hanyou was dead. How inconvenient. And the miko was approaching him.

She must have read something into the help he'd barely supplied with almost two full seasons ago. His eyes slid to her indecently clothed form and noticed she was thinner. Pining away for an unfaithful love? Ridiculous. She should pick a steady lover; preferably a human. Although from the smells seeping from her camp the other two humans were involved.

She walked up to his side and looked at the moon too. "He's gone again." There was nothing for him to say so he kept silent, feeling slightly curious when the silence that would have driven most others away became companionable.

Less than an hour later, she was sitting on the damp grass and he was all but swamped in her depression. She seemed to want comfort, but he waited for her to speak. She did not and the moon dipped ever lower. Her depression was palpable and he was finding himself becoming more annoyed as he lost his last chance at a peaceful night.

She was still awake and silent as the sky took on that eerie pale green tint that foretold the coming of dawn; her stillness was such that dew had settled on her feeble and cold body and it speckled her hair with almost – crystals. Her pensive expression began to brighten with the sky as she seemed to draw comfort from something; she stood and, looking at him for the first time that night, said "Thanks."

For what? He looked at her, but her vision was too poor for her to see the slight surprise and compassion that was evident in his eyes. That word, it was so empty; almost a void where emotion should be. That idiot hanyou was breaking her if she took a night's silent and barely tolerable company as consolation and help.

_How did thee fare? What have thee seen?  
The mother of the willow green  
I call her name  
And 'neath her window have I stayed  
I loved the footsteps that she made  
And when she came  
White queen how my heart did ache  
And dry my lips no word would make  
So still I wait  
_

The clay miko was now truly gone, he'd smelt it on the wind, so he assumed there would be no more troubles; but still the miko occasionally sought him out if he was nearby and alone. She was thinner still, and eyes that were almost as dark as Rin's had been when that pit of filth she used to call her village abused her.

It was as if she was operating on instinct, for she didn't see him, nor hear him when he called, "Miko." Sesshoumaru searched for her name, and spoke it for the first time. "Kagome."

"He really never loved me. It was all for Kikyou, he won't stop crying and mourning. She was the clay woman, but I'm the imitation." She spoke on and on about how she felt, and even Sesshoumaru felt deep sympathy with her. He'd never been used as a replacement to anyone. He'd never been used and abused than that. He'd never felt admiration for a human other than Rin before. The miko was strong in her soul, even if she didn't use that strength.

Sesshoumaru tried to tell her, but no words came. Kagome walked for the whole night by his side, and this time, he felt happy when that ghost of a shade of a smile floated back onto her face. It was right that she be happy.

_My goddess hear my darkest fear  
I speak too late  
It's for evermore that I wait  
Dear friend goodbye  
No tears in my eyes  
So sad it ends as it began  
_

Nonetheless Kagome continued on with her friends because she did love them, she still managed to love Inuyasha even after everything he'd done to her. Just one more facet of the miko that he respected, even if her dress and smell offended his sensibilities. But he would overlook them.

He had always looked in on his idiot brother, noone else but he would kill him, but now he made sure that Inuyasha wasn't destroying the miko any further than she had been. But to his mild curiosity she was mending herself. It was the only way he could describe it, but as the tension grew ever higher, for the final battle was approaching, she gained in strength. Drawing from her mending relationship with Inuyasha.

She was a glutton for punishment. But he too was different. More attentive of Kagome, perhaps she was taking what love she could if she still saw herself as a pale imitation for Inuyasha to reflect his love onto. If she wished to ruin her life and her soul, that was her decision, but she must not be allowed to break yet. Sesshoumaru allowed himself to find some comfort in his unease.

After the encounter with Magatsuhi, Sesshoumaru realised there was something he needed to tell Kagome. Furthermore, he was worried. Something didn't feel right. He'd had a scant moment alone with Kagome earlier, but she had been called away.

For once, Sesshoumaru chose to be optimistic, things would be . . . acceptable and there would be no serious losses. Maybe the taijya or the monk – that noise from his palm was louder than it was before, but nothing serious. He would tell Kagome afterwards.

And then she was gone. Inuyasha was stupider than usual in his frantic panic, so Sesshoumaru took it upon himself to remind him that he had the meidou at his disposal. Inuyasha leapt in.

He and Kagome remained missing for three days and Sesshoumaru waited patiently for them. He needed for them both to come back; but only Inuyasha did, saying "She's gone home," before running off to mourn alone.

The humans and the kitsune poured out their grief . . . humanly: loud, grating and annoying in the company of the old miko who he had entrusted Rin to so that she could choose properaly which life she wanted when she grew up.

Before Sesshoumaru left Edo and Inuyasha's Forest he stopped at the well and said, "Goodbye, my friend." Then he walked off alone. A true daiyoukai mourned quietly, and in solitude.

It ended as it began. In quiet sadness.

* * *

**A/N:** Subtlety is the name of the game folks! I hope it came off as true to Sesshoumaru's personality as he's very tricky to write properly. He's quiet, understated and laconic; tricky fellow. As you can see, there're two or three ways you can take this, which is how I intended it to be taken; I hope it comes off well.

I also hope I did this pairing justice considering I _really_ don't like it. This is the thing I'm most worried about, so if I receive any reviews for this chapter, I'd like you to mention if you think I did well all things considering. Don't feel as if you have to though.


	34. Jealousy

**A/N:** And a lovely return to my _Queen_ series. With a depressing song. Woo. Go Missy.

* * *

**Pairing:** Sesshoumaru/Kagome/Inuyasha/Kagura  
**Genre:** Romance/angst  
**Universe:** AU for a change  
**Warnings:** None

**Word count:** 912

**Jealousy**

_Oh how wrong can you be?  
Oh, to fall in love was my very first mistake  
How was I to know I was far too much in love to see?  
Oh, jealousy look at me now  
Jealousy, you got me somehow  
You gave me no warning  
Took me by surprise  
Jealousy, you led me on  
You couldn't lose, you couldn't fail  
You had suspicion on my trail _

Looking back on it, Sesshoumaru realised what had gone wrong. She was too obnoxious and domineering. She was passionate about people and children. And human rights. It was an oddly compelling mix of water and oil, all bottled up in a woman who wasn't perfectly beautiful by society's standards, but she definitely wasn't plain either.

That silly little doctor had seemed perfect! Kind, caring, she was affectionate to his daughter when ordinarily women fled at the merest mention of his Rin, she was fun, intelligent. And he loved her as much as she loved him.

She must have known his brother before she'd ever met him. To think he was a rebound lover! But back then, when he was unaware of the truth all he'd ever needed to know of her love for him was the love in his eyes and face. Looking back on it, he saw the wistfulness in her eyes, and he realised that his sense of _never_ measuring up to her standards wasn't paranoia, but truth. Kagome must've been thinking 'Inuyasha would do this', 'Inuyasha wouldn't say that', 'Inuyasha would _smile_ and love openly'.

However, the precise moment of collapse had begun when he'd gone to visit Inuyasha because Rin wished to see her cousin. It was only fortunate that it enabled him to see his half – brother's girlfriend at the same time, after all this Sesshoumaru was one to take advantage of an opportunity.

Kagome's eyes had lit up unbearably so; it pained Sesshoumaru when he realised she was far happier with Inuyasha, even as friends than she was as his girlfriend. At least he hadn't bought that engagement ring he'd been eyeing up at the jewellers. But that was only looking back. At the time he'd thought it was something else, perhaps even a stray thought that made me smile with happiness.

Kagura was brash, loud, independent and all in all, seemingly perfect for Inuyasha. Inadvertently, the dinner revolved around Inuyasha after the two children had gone outside to play, leaving him standing silent and alone on the fringes of a small and intimate meal.

Inuyasha had always been more popular because of his extroverted nature whilst most people shied away from his elder brother deeming him cold and deliberately anti – social.

If he hadn't had Kagome, if he hadn't opened up to her, he wouldn't have minded. He was perfectly content as he was: just him and Rin with that odd teenaged boy Jaken who came around to babysit.

It was during those solitary moments watching the animated tableau in front of him that his mind became poisoned by that virulent and subtle illness jealousy.

It only spread like a creeping frost.

_Oh, how strong can you be  
With matters of the heart?  
Life is much too short  
To while away with tears  
If only you could see just what you do to me  
Oh jealousy, you tripped me up  
Jealousy, you brought me down  
You bring me sorrow, you cause me pain  
Jealousy when will you let go?  
Gotta hold of my possessive mind  
Turned me into a jealous kind_

It burned him with the arctic cold and it froze his voice and drove Kagome away from him.

The biting remarks and glares whenever she came to life around his brother only forced her away faster; she withered whenever he was alone with her. Tears flowed and voices were low with fierce passion boiling beneath the ice.

He knew how much was his fault, but if _only_ Kagome would pay attention to how he felt too, there had been many warnings. Oh so many. About not interfering with Inuyasha's life, he clearly loved Kagura very much and it wasn't right that she try to hurt them both. How Rin would feel. Maybe it was his reticence about expressing his feelings openly, but the veiled suggestions about what she was doing to him with her flirting and draping herself over his little brother passed right over her.

He did tell her he was possessive. It was his nature as an inudaiyoukai.

But it was best to lay equal blame on all sides this time. He and Kagome were just incompatible. Inuyasha could have spurned her advances; Kagura could have warned her off.

And so he became devoured by jealousy and forced her away. She went to Inuyasha and Kagura left him. Went abroad to be with her lover.

_How, how, how all my jealousy  
I wasn't man enough to let you hurt my pride  
Now I'm only left with my own jealousy  
But now it matters not if I should live or die  
'Cause I'm only left with my own jealousy  
_

He should have said something!

There was only Rin now keeping him from leaving his home and going away. All that was inside were the ghostly shades and groping hands of satisfied jealousy.

Bachelorhood, it seems, was his natural state. Too much pride to be open to anyone but his daughter, too aloof to attract anyone else.

Pride and jealousy, jealousy and pride. They ended his happiness.

* * *

**Post - story A/N:** Not really my best; I've been out of the writing business to long perhaps.


End file.
